MOLECULES

What is a Molecule?

A molecule is made up of two or more atoms of the same kind or of different kinds chemically combined together. Molecules exist in both elements and compounds. Molecules in elements consist of  a fixed number of one kind  of atom only. For example, each molecule of hydrogen  gas is made up of two hydrogen atoms combined chemically together. Many of such hydrogen molecules make up hydrogen gas. Each molecule of  gaseous elements such as oxygen, chlorine and nitrogen are also made up of two atoms. In some cases, three identical atoms may combine to form a molecule, as in the ozone molecule which is made up of three oxygen atoms.

 

Hydrogen molecule                                                   

Molecules  in compounds consist  of a fixed number of two or more different  kinds of  atoms  chemically combined  together. A carbon monoxide molecule is made up of  one carbon and one oxygen atom. A water molecule consists of two  hydrogen atoms  and one oxygen atom. A glucose  molecule consists of  six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms and six oxygen atoms.

Carbon monoxide molecule                          Water Molecule