Molecule Gallery

About this simulation

This gallery presents water, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, ethanol and benzene as 3D models built from measured bond lengths and angles. Atoms use the usual colours, with carbon grey, hydrogen white, nitrogen blue and oxygen red. Students can change the spin speed, turn on a space-filling view and show or hide atom symbols. Readouts give the formula, shape, bond angle and molar mass. It is helpful for teaching molecular shape, covalent bonding and why bent water differs from linear carbon dioxide.

What students can explore

Select Water and read the Bond angle, then compare it with Carbon dioxide.
Choose Methane and describe its shape from the Shape readout and the model.
Turn on Space-filling to compare the relative sizes of the atoms.
Switch off Atom symbols and ask students to name each atom from its colour.
Compare Molar mass for Ethanol and Benzene and count the atoms in each.

Learning objectives

1Identify the shapes of common small molecules such as bent, linear and tetrahedral.
2Recognise atoms from their standard colours in a molecular model.
3Relate bond angles to the arrangement of atoms in a molecule.
4Compare molecular formulas and molar masses.

Questions teachers ask

Is it free?

Yes. It is free, runs in any modern browser including interactive whiteboards and tablets, and has no sign-up.

Why is water bent but carbon dioxide linear?

Oxygen in water has two bonds and two lone pairs of electrons, and all four electron groups repel each other, giving a bent shape. Carbon dioxide has no lone pairs on carbon, so its two double bonds point in opposite directions.

What does the space-filling view show?

It draws each atom at a size related to its real extent so you can see how the atoms fill the space of the molecule. The ball-and-stick view makes the atoms smaller so the bonds are easy to see.

How do I use it in class?

Pick a molecule from the drop-down, set the Spin speed, and use the toggles for Space-filling and Atom symbols. Drag to rotate the model and read the formula, shape and angle.

Embed this simulation

Drop it into your LMS, blog, or class site — free.

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