CHEM1006 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Covalent Bond, Atomic Orbital, Chemical Element
Document Summary
An atom is defined as a basic unit of matter that contains a centralized dense nucleus surrounded by an electron cloud. When two or more atoms are held together by a chemical covalent bond, this new entity is known as a molecule. The word molecule is a loose term, and it colloquially carries different meanings across different fields of study. The term molecules is used in the kinetic theory of gases, referring to any gaseous particle regardless of its composition. Most often, the term molecules refers to multiple atoms; a molecule may be composed of a single chemical element, as with oxygen, or of multiple elements, such as water. Molecules are neutral and carry no charge; this property distinguishes them from polyatomic ions, such as nitrate. Caffeine is a complicated molecule, composed of many atoms bonded to each other in a specific arrangement. Molecular size varies depending on the number of atoms that make up the molecule.
