Molecular compound

Molecular Compound

A molecular compound is a chemical compound that is composed of molecules formed by atoms from different elements bonded together. These compounds are also known as covalent compounds because they are formed by covalent bonding, a type of chemical bond where atoms share electrons.

Formation

Molecular compounds are formed when atoms of different elements share electrons in their outer shells. This sharing of electrons allows the atoms to achieve a stable electron configuration, often filling their outer shell with eight electrons, known as the octet rule. The shared electrons are counted as part of the electron configuration for each of the bonded atoms.

Properties

Molecular compounds have several distinctive properties. They tend to have lower melting points and boiling points than ionic compounds, due to the weaker forces of attraction between the molecules. They are often gases, liquids, or low melting point solids at room temperature. Molecular compounds are also poor conductors of electricity and heat, as they do not have free electrons or ions to carry the charge or heat energy.

Examples

Common examples of molecular compounds include water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4). In water, for example, each hydrogen atom shares an electron with the oxygen atom, forming a covalent bond.

See also

• Chemical compound
• Covalent bond
• Ionic compound
• Molecule