MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 114 / 175
Is H2Se polar or nonpolar?
H2Se is weakly polar because its bent H–Se–H structure leaves a small net dipole.
Hydrogen Selenide · bent
The molecule in space
Drag to turn the molecule. Show angles to read the model geometry.
01 / MODEL RECORDIllustrative geometry. Atom sizes and bond thickness are illustrative.How model data is used ↗
Why H2Se is polar
Hydrogen selenide is similar to water and H2S, with a very sharply bent geometry (91°). The electronegativity difference between Se (2.55) and H (2.20) is small (0.35), making each bond only slightly polar.
What to notice
The H–Se bonds are only weakly polar, but the H–Se–H structure is bent. Its small net dipole is not zero.
Common questions about H2Se
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of H2Se show?
The Lewis structure is H–Se–H. Selenium makes two single bonds and keeps two lone pairs.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of H2Se?
H2Se has a bent molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 91°. These are angles in the illustrative model, not experimental measurements.
- 03
What is the molar mass of H2Se?
H2Se has an approximate molar mass of 80.99 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.