Molecule

A molecule is the smallest amount of the chemical substance that can exist. If the molecule were split into smaller pieces, it would be the different substance.

This is the sugar molecule. Carbon atoms are made blue, oxygen atoms are made red and hydrogen atoms are made white to show the difference. In reality atoms do not have the color.

Molecules are made up of atoms that are stuck together in the particular shape. Not all combinations of atoms are possible; atoms like certain shapes, but not others. For example, oxygen atoms always have two bonds with other atoms, carbon atoms always have four bonds with other atoms, and nitrogen atoms always have three bonds with other atoms.

In gases like air, the molecules are just flying around. In liquids like water, the molecules are stuck together but ay can still move. In solids like sugar, the molecules can only vibrate.

With the molecular formula, you can write down the numbers of all atoms in the molecule. For example, the molecular formula of sugar is C₆H₁₂O₆. That means that one molecule of sugar is made up of six carbon atoms, twelve hydrogen atoms and six oxygen atoms. guided tour test guided tour test