Which of the following substances is a compound? (1 point)

O carbon (C)

O gold (Au)

O oxygen (0)

water (H_{2}*O)

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The substance water (H_{2}O) is a compound.

To determine which of the following substances is a compound, we need to understand what a compound is. A compound is a substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in a fixed ratio.

- Carbon (C) is an element, not a compound.
- Gold (Au) is also an element, not a compound.
- Oxygen (O) is an element, not a compound.
- Water (H_{2}O) is a compound as it consists of two hydrogen atoms (H) and one oxygen atom (O) that are chemically bonded together.

Therefore, the substance that is a compound among the given options is water (H_{2}O).

To determine which of the substances is a compound, we need to understand what a compound is. A compound is a substance made up of two or more different elements chemically combined in a fixed ratio. Thus, a compound consists of atoms of different elements bonded together.

Now let's analyze the given substances:

1. Carbon (C): Carbon is an element, not a compound. It consists of only carbon atoms and does not contain atoms of other elements.
2. Gold (Au): Gold is also an element, not a compound. It consists of only gold atoms and does not contain atoms of other elements.
3. Oxygen (O): Similar to the previous examples, oxygen is an element and not a compound. It comprises only oxygen atoms and does not contain atoms of other elements.

4. Water (H2O): Water, represented by the chemical formula H2O, is a compound. It consists of two different elements - hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). The ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is fixed at 2:1 in a water molecule.

Therefore, out of the given substances, water (H2O) is the only compound.