MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 124 / 175
Is HNO2 polar or nonpolar?
Nitrous Acid (HNO2) is polar because its H–O–N=O connectivity has unlike ends and cannot cancel its bond dipoles.
Nitrous Acid · bent at N
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 HNO2 is polar
Nitrous acid contains an O–H group attached through oxygen to nitrogen and a second, doubly bonded oxygen. Its N-centered arrangement and different terminal groups produce a net dipole.
What to notice
HNO2 is nitrous acid, whereas HNO3 is nitric acid. One extra oxygen changes the Lewis connectivity and the acid's chemistry.
Common questions about HNO2
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of HNO2 show?
A useful neutral Lewis structure is H–O–N=O; nitrogen has one lone pair, the hydroxyl oxygen has two, and the terminal oxygen has two.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of HNO2?
HNO2 has a bent at N molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 101.6° and 111°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 03
What is the molar mass of HNO2?
HNO2 has an approximate molar mass of 47.01 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.