Ammonia molecule in 3D
NH₃ · Three bonds and an influential lone pair. Ammonia is used to make fertilisers and many nitrogen-containing chemicals. Explore the 3D model, inspect its parts and learn with guided explanations. Free on Atlas.
What you can learn
NH₃ · Three bonds and an influential lone pair. Ammonia is used to make fertilisers and many nitrogen-containing chemicals.
Count the 4 atoms. Match their element colours to the formula NH₃.
Select a bond and identify the two atoms it connects. The nitrogen atom is connected to three hydrogens by single bonds and retains one lone pair in the Lewis picture.
Rotate the model to the side. Three N–H bonds and one nitrogen lone pair give a trigonal pyramidal molecular shape. The H–N–H angle is approximately 107°.
Explain the difference between the atoms present and the molecule they form. Molecular shape describes atom positions. Electron-pair geometry also includes the lone pair, which is not an extra atom.
Connect the model to daily life. Ammonia is used to make fertilisers and many nitrogen-containing chemicals.
What is missing from a ball-and-stick picture? Consider electron density, movement and interactions with nearby molecules.
Try an investigation
Count the 4 atoms. Match their element colours to the formula NH₃.
Check your understanding
How many atoms are in one NH₃ molecule?
4. Add the atom counts in NH₃: one molecule contains 4 atoms. Subscripts belong to the element or group immediately before them.
How many different elements make up NH₃?
2. Ammonia contains nitrogen and hydrogen. Count element types separately from the total atom count.
What is ammonia’s molecular shape?
Trigonal pyramidal. Three N–H bonds and one nitrogen lone pair give a trigonal pyramidal molecular shape. The H–N–H angle is approximately 107°.
What surrounds the nitrogen in the Lewis structure?
Three bonds and one lone pair. The nitrogen atom is connected to three hydrogens by single bonds and retains one lone pair in the Lewis picture.
Does nitrogen’s lone pair count as a fourth hydrogen atom?
No; it is an electron pair. Molecular shape describes atom positions. Electron-pair geometry also includes the lone pair, which is not an extra atom.
What do the sticks in this ammonia model represent?
Chemical connections between atoms. Ball-and-stick models help compare connections and spatial arrangement. Real molecules have electron distributions and vibrating nuclei, not coloured balls joined by rods.
Sources and model scope
Atomic centres use a PubChem computed 3D conformer, scaled for display.