What is a Molecule?

What is a Molecule?

• A. A single atom.
• B. When atoms bond together.
• C. A mixture of elements.
• D. A chemical element.

Answer: (B)

Understanding what a molecule is hinges on how atoms connect. A molecule is a stable group of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds, created when atoms share or transfer electrons to form a single, distinct unit. This bonded assembly has properties that differ from the individual atoms that make it up. It isn’t just one atom, and it isn’t a loose mix of elements without bonds. An element is a substance made of one type of atom, and it can exist as individual atoms or as molecules of that element, but what defines a molecule is the bonded collection of atoms. So a molecule is formed when atoms bond together.

Understanding what a molecule is hinges on how atoms connect. A molecule is a stable group of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds, created when atoms share or transfer electrons to form a single, distinct unit. This bonded assembly has properties that differ from the individual atoms that make it up. It isn’t just one atom, and it isn’t a loose mix of elements without bonds. An element is a substance made of one type of atom, and it can exist as individual atoms or as molecules of that element, but what defines a molecule is the bonded collection of atoms. So a molecule is formed when atoms bond together.