What is a Molecule in Chemistry?
Answer – A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.
Explanation:
A molecule is either diatomic (i.e., has two atoms of the same or different element) or polyatomic (more than two atoms of the same or different element).
Image credit: Adrignola / Wikimedia Commons (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)
As per the image above:
- A water molecule is composed of two hydrogen and one oxygen atom.
- An ammonia molecule is composed of one nitrogen and three hydrogen atoms.
- A carbon dioxide molecule is composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms.
- A nitrogen dioxide molecule is composed of one nitrogen and two oxygen atoms.
- An oxygen molecule is composed of two oxygen atoms.
Molecules are held together by chemical bonds; these bonds can be covalent (involving the sharing of electrons) or ionic (involving the transfer of electrons). The arrangement of atoms and the types of bonds between them determine the structure and properties of a molecule.
