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Coloring conventions in molecular modeling
Apr 3, 2020

Coloring conventions in molecular modeling

What colors are usually used to represent different elements?

In molecular modeling, different colors are usually used to represent different chemical elements.

The default color schemas used by different molecular graphics applications vary but there are some common themes. The typical color assignments are as follows:

ElementColor
H (hygroden)White
C (carbon)Black
N (nitrogen)Blue
O (oxygen)Red

Here is a ball-and-stick model that uses this coloring scheme:

Serotonin

And the full coloring palette used by the Wikipedia contributor Ben Mills:

Palette
See also
Eckher 3D Mol Viewer
View molecular models in 3D.