SPECIAL MOLECULES

Diatomic Molecules Atoms that join together with other atoms form MOLECULES. If there is only ONE type of atom it is a molecular element or Diatomic Molecule (prefix di means two) There are 7 elements that for molecules consisting of two atoms:

H2 HYDROGEN O2 OXYGEN F2 FLUORINE Br2 BROMINE I2 IODINE N2 NITROGEN Cl2 CHLORINE Most molecules contain more than one type of element. These molecules are called MOLECULAR COMPOUNDS.

Polyatomic Ions Tightly bound groups of atoms that behave as a single unit and have ONE charge When two or more non-metal atoms bond to each other, they do so by sharing electrons. Sometime even after sharing electrons, the collection of atoms needs even more electrons than what it can get by sharing

Common Polyatomic Ions

Examples Al(OH)3 KHCO3 Na(NO3) CaSO4 Li3(PO4) Mg(ClO3)2 KCN