What is the difference between an atom and a molecule?
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A molecule consists of two or more atoms.
Cl is an atom of chlorine; Cl2 is a molecule of chlorine.
O is an atom of oxygen; O2 is a molecule of oxygen.
Na and Cl are atoms of socium and chlorine; NaCl is a molecule of table salt.
C, H, O are atoms; of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; C12H22O11 is a molecule of table sugar.
To understand the difference between an atom and a molecule, it is important to understand the basic building blocks of matter.
An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element. It consists of a nucleus, which contains protons and neutrons, surrounded by a cloud of electrons. Every element has a unique number of protons in its nucleus, called the atomic number, which determines its identity. For example, hydrogen atoms have one proton in their nucleus, while carbon atoms have six.
On the other hand, a molecule is made up of two or more atoms that are chemically joined together. When atoms come together and bond, they form molecules. Molecules can either be made up of atoms of the same element, such as oxygen gas (O2) or molecules of different elements, like water (H2O), which is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
In summary, atoms are the individual building blocks of matter, while molecules are composed of two or more atoms bonded together.