Compounds

Methane

Carbon is an element that is able to make 4 chemical bonds with up to 4 other atoms.

Hydrogen is an element with only 1 electron, so can only form 1 bond.

When 4 hydrogen atoms bond with carbon, it forms a simple molecular compound with the formula CH₄.

Water

Oxygen is an element that is able to make 2 chemical bonds.

When 2 hydrogen atoms bond with oxygen, it forms H₂O.

It is bent due to the arrangement of electron pairs.

Carbon dioxide

As previously stated, carbon makes 4 chemical bonds, and oxygen makes 2.

In carbon dioxide, 1 carbon atom makes 2 double bonds with 2 oxygen atoms, forming CO₂.

A double bond just means double the number of electrons are being shared between the atoms.

Glucose (sugar)

Carbon makes 4 bonds, oxygen makes 2 bonds, and hydrogen makes 1 bond.

In glucose, a chain of carbon atoms forms a hexagon with an oxygen atom closing the chain.

Other oxygen and hydrogen atoms bond in available spaces, making a sweet tasting compound with the formula C₆H₁₂O₆.

Sodium chloride (salt)

All previous compounds were simple molecules, but metal elements bond differently.

Sodium donates its outer electron to chlorine, forming a lattice of sodium chloride (note the change from -ine to -ide), with the formula NaCl.

These lattices are why salts like sodium chloride form crystals!