Alcohol Fidget Molecule

Alcohol molecules are relatively small and simple to make, which makes this an ideal project to do with a glass of wine or two. This has been confirmed with field testing.

The “swivel snaps” allow the molecule to twist and turn in space. The model above is all white, but coloured atoms look great! This post is dedicated to the ethanol molecule, but these atoms can be pulled apart and snapped together to model any organic molecule.

The type of alcohol in drinks is also called ethanol (C2H6O) and is made up of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms in the following covalent bonding structures:

Carbon (with 4 single bonds): 2
Oxygen (with two single bonds): 1
Hydrogen (with one single bond): 6

Here are the files that you will need for each atom:

Carbon (with 4 single bonds): Large 4 Tetrahedral (male and female) and 4 swivel snaps
Oxygen (with two single bonds): Medium 2 Linear (male and female) and 2 swivel snaps
Hydrogen (with one single bond): Small 1, no swivel snaps