Concept in Definition ABC

Set of atoms that make up a small part of a substance

For both Physics and Chemistry, a molecule is a set of atoms, either the same or different, that are united through chemical bonds which constitute the minimum portion of a substance that can be separated without its properties being altered. The case that the atoms are identical occurs, for example, in oxygen that has two atoms of this element, or They may be different, as is the case with the water molecule, which has two hydrogen atoms and only one of oxygen.

It could also be said that the molecule is that smallest particle that exhibits all the physical and chemical properties of a substance.

Distinctive features of molecules

Molecules are formations that are found in a movement constant, a situation known as molecular vibrations, which in turn can be tension or bending and meanwhile, the atoms will stay together, united thanks to the fact that they share or exchange electrons.

On the other hand, molecules can own electric charge, a situation called ion-molecule, or failing that, be neutral.

A good part of the substances that we know best and that we even consume are made up of molecules, such is the case of water and sugar.

Element approached from various sciences

Molecules arouse great interest from various disciplines, including especially physics, chemistry, biology, among other.
Meanwhile, the various branches of chemistry will deal with some specific aspects of molecules.

Organic Chemistry or Carbon Chemistry is a part of chemistry that deals with analyze those molecules composed of carbon and that also form carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen covalent bonds. On the other hand, inorganic chemistry focuses on the study of the formation and structure of those elements and inorganic compounds. Then we find the organometallic chemistry which is responsible for chemical compounds that have a bond between a carbon atom and a metal atom.

Biochemistry It is the part of chemistry that has the task of studying living things at the molecular level. In this way, it will not only analyze the molecules that make up cells and tissues, but it will also deal with their main chemical reactions such as digestion, the photosynthesis, among other.

For their part, physical and quantum chemistry are responsible for studying the properties and reactivity of molecules.

It should be noted that those molecules that are composed of the repetition of a unit and that have a high molecular weight are considered macromolecules or polymers.

The molecular formula

The description The molecular structure is very common when talking about molecules and that is why there is an agreed modality when it comes to doing so, such is the case of the molecular formula.

The aforementioned formula is composed of symbols of the elements that make up the molecule in question and also by the number of atoms that will be indicated in the subscripts, among the best known cases we can cite as an example that of water, a formula that is written like this H2O, or the case of ammonia that is formulated as follows way: NH3. This way of formulation in the case of simple molecules while for complex molecules the mentioned chemical formula is not enough and therefore it is necessary to use a formula graph, kind scheme, in which they realize the different functional groups present.

Molecule Topics