About ChemWorkedOut

ChemWorkedOut works through Lewis structures the way a student needs to see them worked: count the valence electrons, place them, check the result against VSEPR, and say why the molecule is or is not polar. Every diagram is drawn from coordinates, not copied from somewhere else, and every atomic weight, molecular weight or electronegativity value used to get there is quoted from NIST or PubChem and linked on the page.

Numbers this site works out itself — a molar mass added up atom by atom, a bond angle read off the VSEPR rules, an electronegativity difference — are marked as calculated rather than looked up, so it is always clear which numbers came from a source and which came from arithmetic on those numbers.

The site started with carbon dioxide and water because they make a direct contrast: one linear and nonpolar, one bent and polar, reached by the same method. New molecules are added one page at a time, and the home page lists every molecule worked so far.

Found a mistake? Write to hello@chemworkedout.com.