MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 121 / 175
Is HCOOH polar or nonpolar?
HCOOH is polar because the C=O and O–H groups place electron density unevenly across the molecule.
Formic Acid · planar around C; bent at hydroxyl O
The molecule in space
Drag to turn the molecule. Show angles to read the model geometry.
01 / MODEL RECORDPubChem 3D coordinates. Atom sizes and bond thickness are illustrative.How model data is used ↗
Why HCOOH is polar
The carboxyl carbon bonds to one H and two unlike oxygen environments: a carbonyl O and a hydroxyl –OH. Their dipoles do not have equal opposite partners, so the isolated molecule is polar.
What to notice
The two oxygen atoms in HCOOH play different roles in a simple Lewis drawing. Acid dimers can form, but the page describes one molecule.
Common questions about HCOOH
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of HCOOH show?
The connectivity is H–C(=O)–O–H. Each oxygen has two lone pairs in the common neutral Lewis structure.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of HCOOH?
HCOOH has a planar around C; bent at hydroxyl O molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 112° and 125.2° and 109.7°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 03
What is the molar mass of HCOOH?
HCOOH has an approximate molar mass of 46.02 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.