Ethanol molecule in 3D
C₂H₆O · A carbon chain with an alcohol group. Ethanol is used as a solvent and fuel and in appropriately formulated disinfectants. Explore the 3D model, inspect its parts and learn with guided explanations. Free on Atlas.
What you can learn
C₂H₆O · A carbon chain with an alcohol group. Ethanol is used as a solvent and fuel and in appropriately formulated disinfectants.
Count the 9 atoms. Match their element colours to the formula C₂H₆O.
Select a bond and identify the two atoms it connects. Ethanol has a C–C bond and an O–H bond within its alcohol group. All bonds in its conventional Lewis structure are single.
Rotate the model to the side. Each carbon is approximately tetrahedral. The oxygen has a bent C–O–H arrangement; a single whole-molecule shape label would be misleading.
Explain the difference between the atoms present and the molecule they form. Different molecules can share the formula C₂H₆O. Ethanol and dimethyl ether connect their atoms differently, so formula alone is not a complete structure.
Connect the model to daily life. Ethanol is used as a solvent and fuel and in appropriately formulated disinfectants.
What is missing from a ball-and-stick picture? Consider electron density, movement and interactions with nearby molecules.
Try an investigation
Count the 9 atoms. Match their element colours to the formula C₂H₆O.
Check your understanding
How many atoms are in one C₂H₆O molecule?
9. Add the atom counts in C₂H₆O: one molecule contains 9 atoms. Subscripts belong to the element or group immediately before them.
How many different elements make up C₂H₆O?
3. Ethanol contains oxygen and carbon and hydrogen. Count element types separately from the total atom count.
What is the local shape around each carbon?
Tetrahedral. Each carbon is approximately tetrahedral. The oxygen has a bent C–O–H arrangement; a single whole-molecule shape label would be misleading.
Which group identifies ethanol as an alcohol?
A carbon-linked –OH group. Ethanol has a C–C bond and an O–H bond within its alcohol group. All bonds in its conventional Lewis structure are single.
Does a molecular formula always specify one structure?
No; structural isomers can share a formula. Different molecules can share the formula C₂H₆O. Ethanol and dimethyl ether connect their atoms differently, so formula alone is not a complete structure.
What do the sticks in this ethanol 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.