Formal-charge inspector
Audit where Lewis-structure charge is assigned atom by atom.
Live model
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Water
H2O
Module 9 of 13
Description of this simulation
Water (H2O): Formal-charge inspector — 0 on every atom. Two lone pairs compress the H–O–H angle and leave a strong net dipole.
Live result
0 on every atom
Two lone pairs compress the H–O–H angle and leave a strong net dipole.
Molecule at a glance
- Geometry
- Bent
- Symmetry
- C₂v
- Polarity
- Polar
- Bond angle
- 104.5°
What this model shows — and what it simplifies
Formal charge assigns bonding electrons equally between bonded atoms and compares that share with the neutral atom’s valence count.
Where do we see this in real life?
Chemists compare formal charges to choose the most useful Lewis structure and predict which atom a reagent will attack.