COMPOUND (CHEMISTRY)
(Redirected from Chemical compound)
A 'chemical compound' is a chemical substance of two or more different chemically bonded chemical elements [citation needed], with a fixed ratio determining the composition. The ratio of each element is usually expressed by chemical formula. For example, water (H2O) is a compound consisting of two hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom.
The atoms within a compound can be held together by a variety of interactions, ranging from covalent bonds to electrostatic forces in ionic bonds. A continuum of bond polarities exist between the purely covalent bond (as in H2) and ionic bonds. For example H2O is held together by polar covalent bonds. Sodium chloride is an example of an ionic compound.
Main articles: Chemical formula
Chemists describe compounds using formula in various formats. For molecules, the formula for the molecular unit is shown. For polymeric materials, such as minerals and many metal oxides, the empirical formula is given, e.g. NaCl for table salt. The order of the elements in molecular and empirical formulas is C, then H and then alphabetical. Trifluoroacetic acid is thus described as C2HF3O2. More descriptive formulas convey structure information, illustrated again with trifluoroacetic acid. CF3CO2H. On the other hand, formulas for inorganic compounds often do not convey structural information, as illustrated by H2SO4 for a molecule that has no H-S bonds. A more descriptive presentation would be O2S(OH)2.
Elements form compounds to become more stable. They become stable when they have eight electrons in their outermost energy level (eight valence electrons). This is the reason that noble gases do not frequently react: they already possess eight valence electrons (the exception being helium, which requires only two valence electrons to achieve stability).
Compounds may have several possible phases. All compounds can exist as solids, at least at low enough temperatures. Molecular compounds may also exist as liquids, gases, and, in some cases, even plasmas. All compounds decompose upon applying heat. The temperature at which such fragmentation occurs is often called the decomposition temperature. Decomposition temperatures are not sharp and depend on the rate of heating. At sufficiently high temperatures, all compounds, either after they have decomposed somehow or in the act of decomposing, fragment into smaller compounds or to individual atoms.
Every chemical compound that has been described in the literature carries a unique numerical identifier, its CAS number.
A 'chemical compound' is a chemical substance of two or more different chemically bonded chemical elements [citation needed], with a fixed ratio determining the composition. The ratio of each element is usually expressed by chemical formula. For example, water (H2O) is a compound consisting of two hydrogen atoms bonded to an oxygen atom.
The atoms within a compound can be held together by a variety of interactions, ranging from covalent bonds to electrostatic forces in ionic bonds. A continuum of bond polarities exist between the purely covalent bond (as in H2) and ionic bonds. For example H2O is held together by polar covalent bonds. Sodium chloride is an example of an ionic compound.
| Contents |
| Formula |
| Phases and thermal properties |
| CAS number |
| References |
Formula
Main articles: Chemical formula
Chemists describe compounds using formula in various formats. For molecules, the formula for the molecular unit is shown. For polymeric materials, such as minerals and many metal oxides, the empirical formula is given, e.g. NaCl for table salt. The order of the elements in molecular and empirical formulas is C, then H and then alphabetical. Trifluoroacetic acid is thus described as C2HF3O2. More descriptive formulas convey structure information, illustrated again with trifluoroacetic acid. CF3CO2H. On the other hand, formulas for inorganic compounds often do not convey structural information, as illustrated by H2SO4 for a molecule that has no H-S bonds. A more descriptive presentation would be O2S(OH)2.
Elements form compounds to become more stable. They become stable when they have eight electrons in their outermost energy level (eight valence electrons). This is the reason that noble gases do not frequently react: they already possess eight valence electrons (the exception being helium, which requires only two valence electrons to achieve stability).
Phases and thermal properties
Compounds may have several possible phases. All compounds can exist as solids, at least at low enough temperatures. Molecular compounds may also exist as liquids, gases, and, in some cases, even plasmas. All compounds decompose upon applying heat. The temperature at which such fragmentation occurs is often called the decomposition temperature. Decomposition temperatures are not sharp and depend on the rate of heating. At sufficiently high temperatures, all compounds, either after they have decomposed somehow or in the act of decomposing, fragment into smaller compounds or to individual atoms.
CAS number
Every chemical compound that has been described in the literature carries a unique numerical identifier, its CAS number.
References
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves

العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español