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N2H4 Lewis Structure

Hydrazine · A rocket propellant and an oxygen scavenger in boiler water.

Lewis structure of N2H4 (Hydrazine)The N-H bonds are polar, and the lone pair on the central atom bends the molecule out of shape, so the dipoles do not cancel.NNHHHH

The N2H4 Lewis structure has 14 valence electrons, drawn as one N–N bond and four bonds to hydrogen, with two lone pairs in total. The central N is sp3 hybridized, which makes it a trigonal pyramidal molecule with a bond angle of 107 degrees. N2H4 is polar: the N-H bonds are polar, and the lone pair on the central atom bends the molecule out of shape, so the dipoles do not cancel.

Calculated properties

Calculated properties of N2H4
Total valence electrons 14
Bonding electrons 10 (5 shared pairs)
Nonbonding electrons 4 (2 lone pairs)
Lone pairs on N 1
Electron domains (steric number) 4
VSEPR notation AX3E1
Electron geometry tetrahedral
Molecular geometry trigonal pyramidal
Bond angle 107°
Hybridization sp3
Polarity polar
Formal charges all zero
Resonance structures none
Molar mass 32.046 g/mol

How to draw the N2H4 Lewis structure

  1. Count the valence electrons

    Add up the outer-shell electrons every atom brings. That total is the budget for the whole structure - every line and every dot has to come out of it, and nothing may be added.

    2 x 5 (N) + 4 x 1 (H) = 14 valence electrons

  2. Work out what is bonded to what

    The two N atoms bond to each other and split the hydrogens evenly between them.

  3. Join everything with single bonds first

    Every connection starts as one shared pair. Draw them all before worrying about double bonds - the arithmetic in the next step is what tells you where the double bonds have to go.

    5 bonds x 2 = 10 electrons used, 4 left

  4. Work out how far short you are

    Add up what every atom still needs to fill its shell - eight electrons for most atoms, two for hydrogen - minus what its single bonds already give it. Compare that with the electrons you have left. The difference decides everything that follows.

    needs 4, has 4, exactly enough

  5. Fill in the lone pairs

    Every electron not in a bond sits as a lone pair on an atom. Each atom takes exactly what it needs to finish its shell - there is no choice left at this point.

    N1: 1, N2: 1 (4 electrons)

  6. Check the formal charges

    Formal charge is valence electrons, minus lone-pair electrons, minus the number of bonds. Every atom here comes out at zero, which is the sign of a good structure.

    all formal charges = 0

  7. Work out the shape

    Count the electron domains on N: 3 bonded groups plus 1 lone pair. A double or triple bond still counts as one domain, because it points in one direction. That gives tetrahedral electron geometry; ignore the lone pairs and the atoms themselves sit in a trigonal pyramidal arrangement. One lone pair pushes the three bonds down from the ideal 109.5 degrees.

    steric number 4 -> sp3 -> trigonal pyramidal, bond angle 107

  8. Decide whether it is polar

    The N-H bonds are polar, and the lone pair on the central atom bends the molecule out of shape, so the dipoles do not cancel.

    dipoles do not cancel -> polar

Is N2H4 polar or nonpolar?

N2H4 is polar. The N-H bonds are polar, and the lone pair on the central atom bends the molecule out of shape, so the dipoles do not cancel.

BondElectronegativity differenceCharacter
N–H 0.84 polar covalent
N–N 0.00 nonpolar covalent
Why this molecule gets set as a problem: Two pyramidal nitrogens joined by a single bond, each keeping a lone pair.

Common questions

How many valence electrons does N2H4 have?

N2H4 has 14 valence electrons. 10 of them are in bonds and 4 sit in lone pairs.

What is the molecular geometry of N2H4?

N2H4 is a trigonal pyramidal molecule. The central N has 3 bonded groups and one lone pair, a steric number of 4, which gives tetrahedral electron geometry and a trigonal pyramidal molecule.

What is the bond angle in N2H4?

The bond angle in N2H4 is 107 degrees. One lone pair pushes the three bonds down from the ideal 109.5 degrees.

What is the hybridization of N2H4?

The central N in N2H4 is sp3 hybridized. Steric number 4 means 4 orbitals have to be mixed, which is exactly what sp3 gives you.

Is N2H4 polar or nonpolar?

N2H4 is polar. The N-H bonds are polar, and the lone pair on the central atom bends the molecule out of shape, so the dipoles do not cancel.

How this page was produced. The formula was parsed, the connectivity resolved (symmetric dimer), and every bond-order arrangement enumerated and scored on octet satisfaction, formal charge and where that charge sits. The structure above is the winner. Bond angles, hybridization and the polarity verdict are read off the resulting geometry, not looked up.