tptoke官网下载安装|compounds
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2024-03-07 17:56:18
COMPOUND中文(简体)翻译：剑桥词典
COMPOUND中文(简体)翻译：剑桥词典
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英语-中文（简体）
compound 在英语-中文（简体）词典中的翻译
compoundnoun [ C ] uk
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/ˈkɒm.paʊnd/ us
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/ˈkɑːm.paʊnd/
compound noun [C]
(COMBINATION)
Add to word list
Add to word list
chemistry
specialized a chemical that combines two or more elements
化合物
Salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.
盐是钠和氯的化合物。
Many fertilizers contain nitrogen compounds.
许多化学肥料都含有氮化合物。
formal something consisting of two or more different parts
复合物；混合物
Then there was his manner, a curious compound of humour and severity.
还有他的态度，那是一种幽默与严厉的奇异混合。
language
specialized a word that combines two or more different words. Often, the meaning of the compound cannot be discovered by knowing the meaning of the different words that form it. Compounds may be written either as one word or as separate words
（语法中的）复合词
'Bodyguard' and 'floppy disk' are two examples of compounds.
bodyguard 和 floppy disk 是两个复合词。
compound noun [C]
(AREA)
an area surrounded by fences or walls that contains a group of buildings
（围起来的）场地，楼群，院落
The gates opened and the troops marched into their compound.
大门开了，部队进入他们的大院。
The embassy compound has been closed to the public because of a bomb threat.
因受到炸弹威胁，使馆区停止对公众开放。
语法
CompoundsA compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning: …
Compound wordsA compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning: …
Compound sentencesA compound sentence has two or more main clauses linked by coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but: …
Nouns: compound nounsSome nouns consist of more than one word. These are compound nouns. Compound nouns can be formed in different ways. The most common way is to put two nouns together (noun + noun); other common types are adjective + noun and verb + noun. …
Compound verbsCompound verbs are two words which combine to make one meaning. The first word is usually a noun, an adjective or a preposition, and the second word is a verb. The words are sometimes written as one word and sometimes joined by hyphens. A good learner’s dictionary will tell you how the compound is normally written: …
Word formationThere are four main kinds of word formation: prefixes, suffixes, conversion and compounds. …
PrefixesWe add prefixes before the base or stem of a word. …
SuffixesWe add suffixes after the base or stem of a word. The main purpose of a suffix is to show what class of word it is (e.g. noun or adjective). …
ConversionConversion involves the change of a word from one word class to another. For example, the verbs to email and to microwave are formed from the nouns email and microwave: …
CompoundingWhen we use compounding, we link together two or more bases to create a new word. Normally, the first item identifies a key feature of the second word. For example, the two bases back and ache can combine to form the compound noun backache, and the two bases post and card combine to form the compound noun postcard. …
AbbreviationAbbreviation involves shortening a word. We do this in three main ways: clipping, acronyms and blends. …
Back-formationWe form words with back-formation when we remove part of a word, usually something which we think is a suffix (or occasionally a prefix). We do this commonly when we form verbs from nouns. …
compoundverb uk
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/kəmˈpaʊnd/ us
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/kəmˈpaʊnd/
compound verb
(WORSEN)
[ T often passive ] to make a problem or difficult situation worse
使加重，使加剧，使恶化
Her terror was compounded by the feeling that she was being watched.
她有种被人监视的感觉，这加剧了她的恐惧感。
His financial problems were compounded when he unexpectedly lost his job.
他意外地失去了工作，这使他手头更紧了。
Severe drought has compounded food shortages in the region.
严重的干旱加剧了该地区的食品短缺问题。
compound verb
(COMBINE)
[ T ] to mix two things together
使混合；使复合
Most tyres are made of rubber compounded with other chemicals and materials.
大多数轮胎都是用橡胶和其他化学制品、材料混合制成的。
compoundadjective uk
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/ˈkɒm.paʊnd/ us
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/ˈkɑːm.paʊnd/
consisting of two or more parts
复合的
finance & economics
specialized used to refer to a system of paying interest in which interest is paid both on the original amount of money invested (= given to companies hoping to get more back) or borrowed and on the interest that has collected over a period of time
（利息）以复利计算的
compound interest
复利
The investment fund has achieved annual compound returns of 18.2 percent.
投资得到了18.2%的复利年回报率。
语法
CompoundsA compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning: …
Compound wordsA compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning: …
Compound sentencesA compound sentence has two or more main clauses linked by coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but: …
Compound verbsCompound verbs are two words which combine to make one meaning. The first word is usually a noun, an adjective or a preposition, and the second word is a verb. The words are sometimes written as one word and sometimes joined by hyphens. A good learner’s dictionary will tell you how the compound is normally written: …
Word formationThere are four main kinds of word formation: prefixes, suffixes, conversion and compounds. …
PrefixesWe add prefixes before the base or stem of a word. …
SuffixesWe add suffixes after the base or stem of a word. The main purpose of a suffix is to show what class of word it is (e.g. noun or adjective). …
ConversionConversion involves the change of a word from one word class to another. For example, the verbs to email and to microwave are formed from the nouns email and microwave: …
CompoundingWhen we use compounding, we link together two or more bases to create a new word. Normally, the first item identifies a key feature of the second word. For example, the two bases back and ache can combine to form the compound noun backache, and the two bases post and card combine to form the compound noun postcard. …
AbbreviationAbbreviation involves shortening a word. We do this in three main ways: clipping, acronyms and blends. …
Back-formationWe form words with back-formation when we remove part of a word, usually something which we think is a suffix (or occasionally a prefix). We do this commonly when we form verbs from nouns. …
(compound在剑桥英语-中文（简体）词典的翻译 © Cambridge University Press)
compound的例句
compound
For each subject, a total of 16 compounds was possible.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
The eleven-yearolds and adults no longer show a bias toward selecting a compound interpretation regardless of stress.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
How does one proceed from impartiality, possibly compounded with sympathy, to the utilitarian mean rule?
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
This role is compounded by two key difficulties of modern day modelling.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
Thus, either the children had not realized that the compounds consist of three parts, or they had used other information.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
The atomic charges were derived from ab initio calculations of interactions between water molecules and model compounds.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
If a rule with such a "compound" body is not redundant it might be so in part.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
The effects of seasonal drought on background canopy-gap disturbance in the tropics are expected to be substantially compounded by the effects of major disturbances.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
示例中的观点不代表剑桥词典编辑、剑桥大学出版社和其许可证颁发者的观点。
B1
compound的翻译
中文（繁体）
組合, 化合物, 複合物…
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compuesto, recinto…
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composto…
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compost…
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složený, složenina, sloučenina…
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kumpulan, majemuk, kompleks…
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ที่เกิดจากส่วนประกอบด้วยจำนวนสองส่วนขึ้นไป, คำประสม, บริเวณ…
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majmuk, sebatian, kawasan…
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zusammengesetzt, die Zusammensetzung, umzäuntes Grundstück…
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sammensatt, kombinert, sammensatt ord…
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혼합의, 혼합물…
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складовий, складний, сполучення…
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composto, recinto…
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соединение, огороженная территория, сложное слово…
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compostable
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“每日一词”
veggie burger
UK
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/ˈvedʒ.i ˌbɜː.ɡər/
US
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/ˈvedʒ.i ˌbɝː.ɡɚ/
a type of food similar to a hamburger but made without meat, by pressing together small pieces of vegetables, seeds, etc. into a flat, round shape
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compound (COMBINATION)
compound (AREA)
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compound (WORSEN)
compound (COMBINE)
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Compounds - Grammar - Cambridge Dictionary
Compounds - Grammar - Cambridge Dictionary
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Compounds
Grammar > Words, sentences and clauses > Word formation > Compounds from English Grammar Today
Compound wordsA compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning:tooth + brush = toothbrush eco + friendly = eco-friendly animal + lover = animal loverWe make compounds in all word classes:nouns: car park, soap operapronouns: anyone, everything, nobodyadjectives: environmentally-friendly, fat-freenumerals: twenty-seven, three-quartersverbs: daydream, dry-cleanprepositions: into, ontoadverbs: nevertheless, nowadaysconjunctions: although, howeverSee also: Hyphens Compound nounsWe usually make compound nouns with a noun + noun, with a verb (or a word made from a verb) + noun, or with an adjective + noun:noun + noun: earphonesverb -ing form + noun: parking ticketverb base form + noun: rescue teamadjective + noun: blackboardThe usual spoken stress pattern is with stress on the first item (earphones, blackboard).In a compound noun, we can combine different elements. These include:subject + verb: earache (an ear that aches), rainfall (rain that falls)verb + subject: cleaning products (products that clean)verb + object: know-all (person who thinks they know everything)object + verb: shoe-polish (polishes shoes), dishwasher (washes dishes)See also: Hyphens Noun phrases: order Compound adjectivesCompound adjectives most commonly end in an adjective (e.g. homesick), or in an -ing or -ed adjective form (e.g. ground-breaking, short-sighted).Compound verbsCompound verbs are far less common than compound nouns or adjectives. They can be made by making a verb from another word class, normally from an already existing compound noun (e.g. a daydream – to daydream).
Writing compound wordsSometimes compound words are written separately (nail polish), sometimes with a hyphen (short-sighted) and sometimes as one word (eyelashes). Often new compounds are written as two separate words and, as they become more familiar, they are either connected with a hyphen (-) or made into one word.There are some general rules and guidelines for when to use hyphens:when there is a prefix (e.g. post-war, pre-lunch, self-interest, semi-skilled)when a compound adjective comes before a head noun (e.g. a well-known singer, an angry-sounding email)when the pre-head item in a compound is a single capital letter (e.g. U-turn, X-ray, D-day)when words are difficult to recognise as compounds and could be confusedThe band has decided to re-form. (form again)The Government promise to reform the health system. (improve)when compound adjectives containing numbers appear before a nounA twenty-two-year-old cyclist won the race.From here to Tokyo, that’s a twelve-hour flight at least.If you’re not sure about whether to use a hyphen, a good dictionary will tell you.See also: Hyphens Punctuation Compound sentencesA compound sentence has two or more main clauses linked by coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but:[main clause 1]She did a nursing degree [main clause 2]and she did really well, [main clause 3]but she’s decided to study medicine now.See also: Clauses: coordinated
Word of the Day
veggie burger
UK
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/ˈvedʒ.i ˌbɜː.ɡər/
US
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/ˈvedʒ.i ˌbɝː.ɡɚ/
a type of food similar to a hamburger but made without meat, by pressing together small pieces of vegetables, seeds, etc. into a flat, round shape
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Contents
Adjectives and adverbs Adjectives Adjectives Adjectives: forms Adjectives: order Adjective phrases Adjective phrases: functions Adjective phrases: position Adjectives and adjective phrases: typical errors Comparative and superlative adjectives Comparison: adjectives (bigger, biggest, more interesting) Comparison: clauses (bigger than we had imagined) Comparison: comparisons of equality (as tall as his father) As … as Adverbs Adverbs Adverb phrases Adverbs and adverb phrases: position Adverbs and adverb phrases: typical errors Adverbs: forms Adverbs: functions Adverbs: types Comparison: adverbs (worse, more easily) Degree adverbs Fairly Intensifiers (very, at all) Largely Much, a lot, lots, a good deal: adverbs Pretty Quite Rather Really Scarcely Very Time adverbs About Ago Already Always Early Ever Hardly ever, rarely, scarcely, seldom Next No longer, not any longer No more, not any more Now Often Once Soon Still Then Usually Eventually Adverbs as discourse markers (anyway, finally) Adverbs as short responses (definitely, certainly) Using adjectives and adverbs Afraid Alike Hard Long Only Same, similar, identical Likely and unlikely As well (as) Even Hardly Hopefully Surely Too Ultimately Easily confused words Above or over? Across, over or through? Advice or advise? Affect or effect? All or every? All or whole? Allow, permit or let? Almost or nearly? Alone, lonely, or lonesome? Along or alongside? Already, still or yet? Also, as well or too? Alternate(ly), alternative(ly) Although or though? Altogether or all together? Amount of, number of or quantity of? Any more or anymore? Anyone, anybody or anything? Apart from or except for? Arise or rise? Around or round? Arouse or rouse? As or like? As, because or since? As, when or while? Been or gone? Begin or start? Beside or besides? Between or among? Born or borne? Bring, take and fetch Can, could or may? Classic or classical? Come or go? Consider or regard? Consist, comprise or compose? Content or contents? Different from, different to or different than? Do or make? Down, downwards or downward? During or for? Each or every? East or eastern; north or northern? Economic or economical? Efficient or effective? Elder, eldest or older, oldest? End or finish? Especially or specially? Except or except for? Expect, hope or wait? Experience or experiment? Fall or fall down? Far or a long way? Farther, farthest or further, furthest? Fast, quick or quickly? Fell or felt? Female or feminine; male or masculine? Finally, at last, lastly or in the end? First, firstly or at first? Fit or suit? Following or the following? For or since? Forget or leave? Full or filled? Fun or funny? Get or go? Grateful or thankful? Hear or listen (to)? High or tall? Historic or historical? House or home? How is …? or What is … like? If or when? If or whether? Ill or sick? Imply or infer? In the way or on the way? It’s or its? Late or lately? Lay or lie? Lend or borrow? Less or fewer? Look at, see or watch? Low or short? Man, mankind or people? Maybe or may be? Maybe or perhaps? Nearest or next? Never or not … ever? Nice or sympathetic? No doubt or without doubt? No or not? Nowadays, these days or today? Open or opened? Opportunity or possibility? Opposite or in front of? Other, others, the other or another? Out or out of? Permit or permission? Person, persons or people? Pick or pick up? Play or game? Politics, political, politician or policy? Price or prize? Principal or principle? Quiet or quite? Raise or rise? Remember or remind? Right or rightly? Rob or steal? Say or tell? So that or in order that? Sometimes or sometime? Sound or noise? Speak or talk? Such or so? There, their or they’re? Towards or toward? Wait or wait for? Wake, wake up or awaken? Worth or worthwhile? Nouns, pronouns and determiners Determiners A/an and the Determiners (the, my, some, this) Determiners and types of noun Determiners: position and order Determiners: typical errors Determiners used as pronouns Every Possession (John’s car, a friend of mine) Such This, that, these, those Whole Nouns Nouns Nouns: form Nouns and prepositions Nouns: compound nouns Nouns: countable and uncountable Nouns: forming nouns from other words Nouns: singular and plural Uncountable nouns Accommodation Equipment Furniture Information Luck and lucky News Progress Weather Noun phrases Noun phrases: dependent words Noun phrases: order Noun phrases: uses Noun phrases: noun phrases and verbs Noun phrases: two noun phrases together Pronouns Pronouns Each other, one another Everyone, everybody, everything, everywhere It Gender No one, nobody, nothing, nowhere One One and one’s Pronouns: personal (I, me, you, him, it, they, etc.) Pronouns: possessive (my, mine, your, yours, etc.) Pronouns: reflexive (myself, themselves, etc.) Pronouns: indefinite (-body, -one, -thing, -where) Pronouns: one, you, we, they Relative pronouns Questions: interrogative pronouns (what, who) Someone, somebody, something, somewhere That Quantifiers A bit All Any Both Either Enough Least, the least, at least Less Little, a little, few, a few Lots, a lot, plenty Many More Most, the most, mostly Much, many, a lot of, lots of: quantifiers No, none and none of Plenty Some Some and any Question words How What When Where Which Who, whom Whose Why Using nouns Piece words and group words Comparison: nouns (more money, the most points) Nouns and gender Reported speech: reporting nouns Age Half Holiday and holidays Mind Opinion Promise Reason Sort, type and kind Thing and stuff View Way Work (noun) Prepositions and particles Prepositions Prepositional phrases Above After, afterwards Against Among and amongst As At At, in and to (movement) At, on and in (place) At, on and in (time) Below Beneath Beyond By During For For + -ing From In front of In spite of and despite In, into Near and near to Of On, onto Over To Under Until With Within Without Using English Collocation Functions Commands and instructions Commentaries Invitations Offers Requests Greetings and farewells: hello, goodbye, Happy New Year Suggestions Telephoning Warnings Numbers Dates Measurements Number Time People and places Geographical places Names and titles: addressing people Nationalities, languages, countries and regions Place names Place and movement Abroad Away and away from Back Inside Nearby Outside Up Politeness Reported speech Reported speech Reported speech: direct speech Reported speech: indirect speech Sexist language Spoken English Pronunciation Intonation Politeness Interjections (ouch, hooray) Tags Chunks Ellipsis Headers and tails Hyperbole Vague expressions Downtoners Hedges (just) Substitution All right and alright Please and thank you Here and there Just Kind of and sort of Oh So and not with expect, hope, think, etc. So Yes Anyway Discourse markers (so, right, okay) In fact Okay, OK Well You know You see Types of English British and American English Dialect Double negatives and usage Formal and informal language Newspaper headlines Register Slang Standard and non-standard language Swearing and taboo expressions Useful phrases According to Actual and actually Approximations (around four o’clock) At all Else Hear that, see that However, whatever, whichever, whenever, wherever, whoever It’s time May as well and might as well More or less Of course Point of view Writing Apostrophe (’) Apposition Contractions Contrasts Detached impersonal style Internet discourse and text messages It, this and that in paragraphs Paragraphs Punctuation Speech into writing Spelling Such as Verbs Tenses and time Past Past simple (I worked) Past continuous (I was working) Past continuous or past simple? Past simple or present perfect? Used to Past perfect simple (I had worked) Past perfect continuous (I had been working) Past perfect simple or past perfect continuous? Past perfect simple or past simple? Past verb forms referring to the present Past: typical errors Present Present continuous (I am working) Present perfect continuous (I have been working) Present perfect simple (I have worked) Present perfect simple or present perfect continuous? Present perfect: typical errors Present simple (I work) Present simple or present continuous? Present: typical errors Present verb forms referring to the past Future Future: will and shall Future: be going to (I am going to work) Future: other expressions to talk about the future Future continuous (I will be working) Future in the past Future perfect continuous (I will have been working here ten years) Future perfect simple (I will have worked eight hours) Future: present continuous to talk about the future (I’m working tomorrow) Future: present simple to talk about the future (I work tomorrow) Future: typical errors Going to Verb forms Finite and non-finite verbs Imperative clauses (Be quiet!) Infinitives with and without to Infinitive: active or passive? Perfect infinitive with to (to have worked) Verbs: basic forms Verbs: formation Verb patterns Hate, like, love and prefer Hear, see, etc. + object + infinitive or -ing Help somebody (to) do Look forward to Stop + -ing form or to-infinitive Verb patterns: verb + infinitive or verb + -ing? Verb patterns: verb + that-clause Verb patterns: with and without objects Would like Would rather, would sooner Phrasal verbs and multi-word verbs Passive voice Get passive Have something done Passive: forms Passives with and without an agent Passive: uses Passive: other forms Passive: typical errors Modal verbs and modality Can Could Could, may and might Dare Had better May Might Modality: forms Modality: meanings and uses Modality: tense Modality: other verbs Modality: other modal words and expressions Must Need Ought to Shall Should Will Would Conditionals and wishes Conditionals Conditionals: if Conditionals: other expressions (unless, should, as long as) Conditionals: typical errors If only In case (of) Suppose, supposing and what if Wish Using verbs Verbs: types Verb phrases Verbs and verb phrases: typical errors Appear Ask and ask for Be Be expressions (be able to, be due to) Come Do Enable Enjoy Explain Get Go Happen Have Have got and have Hope Know Let, let’s Like Look Made from, made of, made out of, made with Make Marry and divorce Matter Mean Miss Prefer Put See Seem Suggest Take Think Want Table of irregular verbs Words, sentences and clauses Word classes and phrase classes Word formation Word formation Prefixes Suffixes Compounds Abbreviations, initials and acronyms -ish and -y Diminutives (-let, -y and mini-) Hyphens Word order and focus Word order and focus Word order: structures Cleft sentences (It was in June we got married.) Fronting Inversion No sooner Not only … but also Conjunctions and linking words And As if and as though As long as and so long as Because, because of and cos, cos of Before But Conjunctions Conjunctions: adding Conjunctions: causes, reasons, results and purpose Conjunctions: contrasting Conjunctions: time Either … or… If In order to Or Since Unless Whereas Whether While and whilst Yet Clauses and sentences Adjuncts Clauses Clauses: finite and non-finite Clause types Complements Dummy subjects Exclamations Heads Objects Sentences Subjects Subject complements Subject–verb agreement Relative clauses Relative clauses Relative clauses referring to a whole sentence Relative clauses: defining and non-defining Relative clauses: typical errors Negation Negation Neither, neither … nor and not … either Not Neither, neither … nor and not … either Not Forming negative statements, questions and imperatives Negation: two negatives Negative clauses with any, anybody, anyone, anything, anywhere Negation in non-finite clauses Negative prefixes and suffixes Negative adverbs: hardly, seldom, etc. Negation: emphasising Negation of think, believe, suppose, hope Questions Questions: alternative questions (Is it black or grey?) Questions: statement questions (you’re over 18?) Questions: two-step questions Questions: typical errors Questions: wh-questions Questions: yes-no questions (Are you feeling cold?) Questions: follow-up questions Questions: echo and checking questions Questions: short forms
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COMPOUND | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
COMPOUND | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
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English
Meaning of compound in English
compoundnoun [ C ] uk
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/ˈkɒm.paʊnd/ us
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/ˈkɑːm.paʊnd/
compound noun [C]
(COMBINATION)
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chemistry
specialized a chemical that combines two or more elements: Salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine. Many fertilizers contain nitrogen compounds.
formal something consisting of two or more different parts: Then there was his manner, a curious compound of humour and severity.
language
specialized a word that combines two or more different words. Often, the meaning of the compound cannot be discovered by knowing the meaning of the different words that form it. Compounds may be written either as one word or as separate words: 'Bodyguard' and 'floppy disk' are two examples of compounds.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Chemistry: types of chemical
acid salt
aerogel
alkali metal
alkaline
alkalinity
alkaloid
antioxidant
carbohydrate
coolant
inorganic
ketone
lectin
melamine
methyl orange
monomer
monosaccharide
mothball
propellant
saline
sulphide
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Complexity
Linguistics: morphology & parts of words
compound noun [C]
(AREA)
an area surrounded by fences or walls that contains a group of buildings: The gates opened and the troops marched into their compound. The embassy compound has been closed to the public because of a bomb threat.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Gardens & yards
allotment
arboretum
backyard
barnyard
boatyard
cloister
court
courtyard
farmyard
forecourt
formal
garden
ground
junkyard
physic garden
precinct
reclamation yard
roof garden
yard
See more results »
Grammar
CompoundsA compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning: …
Compound wordsA compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning: …
Compound sentencesA compound sentence has two or more main clauses linked by coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but: …
Nouns: compound nounsSome nouns consist of more than one word. These are compound nouns. Compound nouns can be formed in different ways. The most common way is to put two nouns together (noun + noun); other common types are adjective + noun and verb + noun. …
Compound verbsCompound verbs are two words which combine to make one meaning. The first word is usually a noun, an adjective or a preposition, and the second word is a verb. The words are sometimes written as one word and sometimes joined by hyphens. A good learner’s dictionary will tell you how the compound is normally written: …
Word formationThere are four main kinds of word formation: prefixes, suffixes, conversion and compounds. …
PrefixesWe add prefixes before the base or stem of a word. …
SuffixesWe add suffixes after the base or stem of a word. The main purpose of a suffix is to show what class of word it is (e.g. noun or adjective). …
ConversionConversion involves the change of a word from one word class to another. For example, the verbs to email and to microwave are formed from the nouns email and microwave: …
CompoundingWhen we use compounding, we link together two or more bases to create a new word. Normally, the first item identifies a key feature of the second word. For example, the two bases back and ache can combine to form the compound noun backache, and the two bases post and card combine to form the compound noun postcard. …
AbbreviationAbbreviation involves shortening a word. We do this in three main ways: clipping, acronyms and blends. …
Back-formationWe form words with back-formation when we remove part of a word, usually something which we think is a suffix (or occasionally a prefix). We do this commonly when we form verbs from nouns. …
compoundverb uk
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/kəmˈpaʊnd/ us
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/kəmˈpaʊnd/
compound verb
(WORSEN)
[ T often passive ] to make a problem or difficult situation worse: Her terror was compounded by the feeling that she was being watched. His financial problems were compounded when he unexpectedly lost his job. Severe drought has compounded food shortages in the region.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Deteriorating and making worse
add
admin
aggravate
backslide
be (all) downhill idiom
debase
deterioration
devaluation
disintegrate
dog
downgrade
regress
regression
regressive
regressively
retrograde
vulgarize
wear thin idiom
worse
worsen
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compound verb
(COMBINE)
[ T ] to mix two things together: Most tyres are made of rubber compounded with other chemicals and materials.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Connecting and combining
abut
additive
adjoin
affix something to something
agglomerate
connecting
converge
convergence
cor
couple something together
interweave
isthmic
jointed
junction
kludge
unified
unify
unintegrated
union
unseparated
See more results »
compoundadjective uk
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/ˈkɒm.paʊnd/ us
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/ˈkɑːm.paʊnd/
consisting of two or more parts
finance & economics
specialized used to refer to a system of paying interest in which interest is paid both on the original amount of money invested (= given to companies hoping to get more back) or borrowed and on the interest that has collected over a period of time: compound interest The investment fund has achieved annual compound returns of 18.2 percent.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Complexity
advanced
all-singing
baroque
baroquely
be more to something than meets the eye idiom
finicky
high-tech
indirectly
insolubility
intractability
onerousness
ornate
ornately
over-elaborate
over-fussy
tortuous
tortuously
tortuousness
twisty
ultra-sophisticated
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Interest & capital
Grammar
CompoundsA compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning: …
Compound wordsA compound word is two or more words linked together to produce a word with a new meaning: …
Compound sentencesA compound sentence has two or more main clauses linked by coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but: …
Compound verbsCompound verbs are two words which combine to make one meaning. The first word is usually a noun, an adjective or a preposition, and the second word is a verb. The words are sometimes written as one word and sometimes joined by hyphens. A good learner’s dictionary will tell you how the compound is normally written: …
Word formationThere are four main kinds of word formation: prefixes, suffixes, conversion and compounds. …
PrefixesWe add prefixes before the base or stem of a word. …
SuffixesWe add suffixes after the base or stem of a word. The main purpose of a suffix is to show what class of word it is (e.g. noun or adjective). …
ConversionConversion involves the change of a word from one word class to another. For example, the verbs to email and to microwave are formed from the nouns email and microwave: …
CompoundingWhen we use compounding, we link together two or more bases to create a new word. Normally, the first item identifies a key feature of the second word. For example, the two bases back and ache can combine to form the compound noun backache, and the two bases post and card combine to form the compound noun postcard. …
AbbreviationAbbreviation involves shortening a word. We do this in three main ways: clipping, acronyms and blends. …
Back-formationWe form words with back-formation when we remove part of a word, usually something which we think is a suffix (or occasionally a prefix). We do this commonly when we form verbs from nouns. …
(Definition of compound from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
compound | American Dictionary
compoundnoun [ C ] us
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/ˈkɑm·pɑʊnd/
compound noun [C]
(COMBINATION)
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a mixture of two or more different parts or elements: His jokes have been described as a compound of fears, anxieties, and insecurities.
chemistry A compound is a chemical substance that combines two or more elements.
grammar A compound is a word consisting of two or more words: "Black eye" and "teaspoon" are compounds.
compound noun [C]
(AREA)
a fenced or enclosed area that contains buildings: We left the compound early to find and photograph wild animals.
compoundverb [ T ] us
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/kɑmˈpɑʊnd, ˈkɑm·pɑʊnd/
to make something worse by increasing or adding to it: Lack of rain compounded the problems farmers are having.
(Definition of compound from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
compound | Business English
compoundadjective
FINANCE uk
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/ˈkɒmpaʊnd/ us
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used to describe a system of calculating interest in which it is paid on both the amount of money invested or borrowed and on the interest that has been added to it: The investment has grown $1,000 into $3,552 over five years, a compound annual return of 28.6%.
compoundverb [ T ]
FINANCE uk
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/kəmˈpaʊnd/ us
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to calculate interest on both the amount of money invested or borrowed and on the interest that has been added to it: Interest will be compounded every six months.
See also
compound interestCompare
simple interest
(Definition of compound from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)
Examples of compound
compound
If a rule with such a "compound" body is not redundant it might be so in part.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
While phrases tend to be stressed phrase-finally, compounds tend to be stressed on the first element.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The effects of seasonal drought on background canopy-gap disturbance in the tropics are expected to be substantially compounded by the effects of major disturbances.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Some of these compounds have been detrimental to the environment, and all too often the disease organisms being targeted have developed resistance.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
This problem was compounded as the image provided by the camera was visible locally but in an undegraded form.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
We also represent the syntactic relations in the result of nominal compound parsing, which will be useful for nominal interpretation.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
We should discuss the possible interpretation and the equipment that could test biogenicity of such sulphur compounds.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
For each subject, a total of 16 compounds was possible.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
A reasonable therapeutic strategy may be to suppress the aggregation of these proteins using compounds that inhibit their corresponding proteases.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
This role is compounded by two key difficulties of modern day modelling.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The clinicians' difficulties are further compounded by the older adult often having internalised the media version, so pushing down and distorting their own experiences.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Since this was a kind of truck, it was counted as a left-headed compound.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
How does one proceed from impartiality, possibly compounded with sympathy, to the utilitarian mean rule?
From the Cambridge English Corpus
This problem is compounded by the presence, within the ranch, of patches of thicket harbouring untreated populations of tsetse.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
However, it has to be realized that synthetic compounds as such date back to the earliest recorded stages of the language.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
See all examples of compound
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
Collocations with compound
compound
These are words often used in combination with compound.Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.
active compoundThe detailed account of the active compound is complemented by information on the ecology of the tree and various sociocultural facts.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
bioactive compoundAdditionally, two chapters are devoted to the discovery of plant-derived bioactive compounds.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
chemical compoundFruiting frequency was not significantly correlated with any chemical compound.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
See all collocations with compound
What is the pronunciation of compound?
B1
Translations of compound
in Chinese (Traditional)
組合, 化合物, 複合物…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
组合, 化合物, 复合物…
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in Spanish
compuesto, recinto…
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in Portuguese
composto…
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in more languages
in Japanese
in Turkish
in French
in Catalan
in Dutch
in Danish
in Swedish
in Malay
in German
in Norwegian
in Ukrainian
in Russian
in Arabic
in Czech
in Indonesian
in Thai
in Vietnamese
in Polish
in Korean
in Italian
複合の, 合成物, 化合物…
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bileşim, karışım, terkip…
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composé, enceinte, enclos…
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compost…
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samengesteld, samenstelling, verbinding…
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sammensat, sammensætning, sammensat ord…
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sammansatt, sammansättning, förening…
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majmuk, sebatian, kawasan…
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zusammengesetzt, die Zusammensetzung, umzäuntes Grundstück…
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sammensatt, kombinert, sammensatt ord…
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складовий, складний, сполучення…
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соединение, огороженная территория, сложное слово…
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مُركَب…
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složený, složenina, sloučenina…
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kumpulan, majemuk, kompleks…
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ที่เกิดจากส่วนประกอบด้วยจำนวนสองส่วนขึ้นไป, คำประสม, บริเวณ…
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phức hợp, kép, hợp chất…
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związek, teren, złożenie…
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혼합의, 혼합물…
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composto, recinto…
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Word of the Day
veggie burger
UK
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/ˈvedʒ.i ˌbɜː.ɡər/
US
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/ˈvedʒ.i ˌbɝː.ɡɚ/
a type of food similar to a hamburger but made without meat, by pressing together small pieces of vegetables, seeds, etc. into a flat, round shape
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Contents
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Noun
compound (COMBINATION)
compound (AREA)
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compound (WORSEN)
compound (COMBINE)
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compound是什么意思_compound的翻译_音标_读音_用法_例句_爱词霸在线词典
ound是什么意思_compound的翻译_音标_读音_用法_例句_爱词霸在线词典首页翻译背单词写作校对词霸下载用户反馈专栏平台登录compound是什么意思_compound用英语怎么说_compound的翻译_compound翻译成_compound的中文意思_compound怎么读,compound的读音,compound的用法,compound的例句翻译人工翻译试试人工翻译翻译全文简明柯林斯牛津compoundCET4/CET6/考研/GRE/TOEFL/IELTS英 [ˈkɒmpaʊnd]美 [ ˈkɑːmpaʊnd]释义n.化合物，混合物; 复合词; 有围墙的场地adj.复合的; 混合的v.加重; 使复杂化; 混合点击 人工翻译，了解更多 人工释义词态变化复数: compounds;第三人称单数: compounds;过去式: compounded;过去分词: compounded;现在分词: compounding;实用场景例句全部复合物院子复合词调和复合复合的合成的达成协议Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.普通食盐是钠和氯的化合物。牛津词典a prison compound监狱场地牛津词典a compound adjective, such as fair-skinned复合形容词，如fair-skinned牛津词典A compound sentence contains two or more clauses.复合句包含两个或多个从句。牛津词典the compound eye of a wasp黄蜂的复眼牛津词典The problems were compounded by severe food shortages.严重的食物短缺使问题进一步恶化。牛津词典The DNA molecule is compounded from many smaller molecules.脱氧核糖核酸分子是由许多更小的分子组成的。牛津词典liquid soaps compounded with disinfectant用消毒剂混合制成的皂液牛津词典Police fired on them as they fled into the embassy compound.当他们逃进使馆大院时，警察向他们开了枪。柯林斯高阶英语词典...a military compound.军营柯林斯高阶英语词典Organic compounds contain carbon in their molecules.有机化合物的分子中含碳。柯林斯高阶英语词典Honey is basically a compound of water, two types of sugar, vitamins and enzymes.蜂蜜基本上是水、两种糖、几种维生素和酶的混合物。柯林斯高阶英语词典...a tall shrub with shiny compound leaves.长有油光闪亮的复叶的高株灌木柯林斯高阶英语词典...the compound microscope.复式显微镜柯林斯高阶英语词典Additional bloodshed and loss of life will only compound the tragedy...额外的流血和牺牲只会加重这场悲剧。柯林斯高阶英语词典The problem is compounded by the medical system here.这儿的医疗体制使问题进一步恶化。柯林斯高阶英语词典A constituent ( element or compound ) of an alloy, which may be used to specify its composition.合金的任一组成 ( 可以是元素或化合物 ), 可以被用于区分其构成成分.期刊摘选Suddenly, the electric lights went out, and the whole compound was plunged into darkness.电灯突然灭了.整个公馆立刻成了黑暗世界.汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）It'shows that this model compound can transfer substituted one carbon unit to these reactants.结果表明,该化学模型具有较高的反应活性,能够实现甲基取代的一碳单元的彻底转移.期刊摘选Method: to introduce the prescription, preparation and quality controlling of the compound Indigo Naturalis powder.方法: 介绍该制剂的处方 、 制备及质量控制方法.期刊摘选At around 8 p.m. gunshots rang near a compound that belonged to Basiji militiaAzadi Square.晚上8点左右,在阿扎迪广场附近民兵部队的一座大楼附近传出枪声.期刊摘选The compound of acryloyl chloride was synthesized by benzoyl chlorid and crylic acid.利用苯甲酰氯与丙烯酸反应制备丙烯酰氯.期刊摘选The structure and machining process of plane diffluent compound die are introduced.介绍了平面分流组合模的结构和加工工艺.期刊摘选Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物.《简明英汉词典》Among the catalysts developed , the heteropoly compound catalyst holds some promise in use of practical applications.研究中所涉及的催化剂中杂多化合物具有良好的工业应用前景.期刊摘选收起实用场景例句真题例句全部六级考研Another team at Nagoya University in Japan has tested calcium compound as an energy storage material.2018年12月六级真题（第二套）听力 Section CHeating this chemical compound drives off carbon dioxide gas, leaving calcium oxide.2018年12月六级真题（第二套）听力 Section CTo compound the delays, the unused airport is resulting in massive costs.2019年12月六级真题（第二套）听力 Section CScientists say the compound is "bound to be carcinogenic" but have no hard scientific proof.2020年考研真题（英语一）完形填空 Section ⅠThe Food Standards Authority FSA has issued a public warning about the risks of a compound called acrylamide that forms in some foods cooked at high temperatures.2020年考研真题（英语一）完形填空 Section Ⅰ收起真题例句英英释义Noun1. (chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight2. a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts3. an enclosure of residences and other building (especially in the Orient)Verb1. make more intense, stronger, or more marked;"The efforts were intensified", "Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her""Potsmokers claim it heightens their awareness""This event only deepened my convictions"2. put or add together;"combine resources"3. calculate principal and interest4. create by mixing or combining5. combine so as to form a whole; mix;"compound the ingredients"Adjective1. of leaf shapes; of leaves composed of several similar parts or lobes2. consisting of two or more substances or ingredients or elements or parts;"soap is a compound substance""housetop is a compound word""a blackberry is a compound fruit"3. composed of many distinct individuals united to form a whole or colony;"coral is a colonial organism"收起英英释义词根词缀词根: pound=put,表示"放置"adj.compound 混合的,化合的com全部+pound放置→全部放到一起→化合物n.compound 混合物,化合物 com全部+pound放置→全部放到一起→化合物v.compound 混合com全部+pound放置→全部放到一起→化合物expound 解释,阐述,提出ex出+pound放置→把[意义]说出来→详细说明impound 把……围住；扣押,保管im进+pound放置→放进去→围住propound 提出,提议pro向前+pound放置→把[意见]向前放→提议同义词辨析compound, mixture这两个名词均有"复合物"之意。compound： 指由两种或两种以上的物质结合在一起，发生化学变化而成的复合物、化学物。mixture： 指把多种东西混合在一起，组成的东西未起化学变化。mixture, blend, combination, compound, composite这些名词均含"混合"之意。mixture： 普通用词，指不同类种、性质不同的事物的混合。blend： 侧重混合成分之间的类似和整个混合物的统一性。combination： 指相混元素的紧密结合，但不一定的是融合。compound： 特指两种或多种元素构成的化合物。composite： 通常可与compound换用，但倾向于指人为的或偶然的结合或凑合。行业词典医学复合物，化合物 在化学中，指由两个或两个以上化学元素结合而成的物质 复杂合子：遗传学上，指在同一座位有两个不同的突变等位基因的基因型，或由这种基因型产生的表型 参见homozygote和homozygous 机械混合绕组电流互感器 compound-wound current transformer 带有一个专用作减少一次和二次电流间相位差的单独的辅助绕组的电流互感器。 法律复合 物理学复合核理论 compound-nucleus theory 复合核衰变 compound-nucleus decay 释义词态变化实用场景例句真题例句英英释义词根词缀同义词辨析行Chemical compound | Definition, Examples, & Types | Britannica
Chemical compound | Definition, Examples, & Types | Britannica
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chemical compound
Table of Contents
chemical compound
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IntroductionThe periodic tableTrends in the chemical properties of the elementsClassification of compoundsInorganic compoundsBinary compoundsBinary ionic compoundsBinary molecular (covalent) compoundsNonbinary compoundsIonic compounds containing polyatomic ionsAcidsCompounds with complex ionsOrganic compoundsHistorical developmentsCarbon bondingFunctional groupsAlkanesAlkenesAlkynesAromatic hydrocarbons (arenes)Alcohols and phenolsEthers and epoxidesThiolsAminesHalidesAldehydes and ketonesCarboxylic acidsPolyfunctional compoundsChemical synthesisApproach to synthesisEvaluation of a synthetic methodIsolation and purification of productsSpectroscopy of organic compoundsUltraviolet and visible (UV-visible) spectroscopyInfrared (IR) spectroscopyNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopyProton magnetic resonance spectroscopyCarbon-13 magnetic resonance spectroscopyMass spectrometryReaction typesSubstitution reactionsElimination reactionsAddition reactionsHydrolysisCondensationAcid-base reactionsOxidation-reduction reactions
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Written by
Melvyn C. Usselman
Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London.
Melvyn C. Usselman,
Richard O.C. Norman
Rector, Exeter College, University of Oxford. Professor of Chemistry, University of York, England, 1956–87. Author of Principles of Organic Synthesis.
Richard O.C. Norman,
Steven S. Zumdahl
Professor and Associate Head, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Author of Chemical Principles and many others.
Steven S. ZumdahlSee All
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methane molecule
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Louis Bernard Guyton de Morveau
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
Martin Heinrich Klaproth
Nicolas-Louis Vauquelin
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chemical compound, any substance composed of identical molecules consisting of atoms of two or more chemical elements.water moleculeA water molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. A single oxygen atom contains six electrons in its outer shell, which can hold a total of eight electrons. When two hydrogen atoms are bound to an oxygen atom, the outer electron shell of oxygen is filled.(more)All the matter in the universe is composed of the atoms of more than 100 different chemical elements, which are found both in pure form and combined in chemical compounds. A sample of any given pure element is composed only of the atoms characteristic of that element, and the atoms of each element are unique. For example, the atoms that constitute carbon are different from those that make up iron, which are in turn different from those of gold. Every element is designated by a unique symbol consisting of one, two, or three letters arising from either the current element name or its original (often Latin) name. For example, the symbols for carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are simply C, H, and O, respectively. The symbol for iron is Fe, from its original Latin name ferrum. The fundamental principle of the science of chemistry is that the atoms of different elements can combine with one another to form chemical compounds. Methane, for example, which is formed from the elements carbon and hydrogen in the ratio four hydrogen atoms for each carbon atom, is known to contain distinct CH4 molecules. The formula of a compound—such as CH4—indicates the types of atoms present, with subscripts representing the relative numbers of atoms (although the numeral 1 is never written).Investigate the magnetlike ionic bond formed when electrons transfer from one atom to anotherIons—atoms with a positive or negative net charge—bind together to form ionic compounds.(more)See all videos for this articleSee molecular bonds at work as two hydrogen atoms join a sulfur atom to make hydrogen sulfideMolecular compounds are formed when molecules, such as those of methane or water, join together by sharing electrons.(more)See all videos for this articleWater, which is a chemical compound of hydrogen and oxygen in the ratio two hydrogen atoms for every oxygen atom, contains H2O molecules. Sodium chloride is a chemical compound formed from sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) in a 1:1 ratio. Although the formula for sodium chloride is NaCl, the compound does not contain actual NaCl molecules. Rather, it contains equal numbers of sodium ions with a charge of positive one (Na+) and chloride ions with a charge of negative one (Cl−). (See below Trends in the chemical properties of the elements for a discussion of the process for changing uncharged atoms to ions [i.e., species with a positive or negative net charge].) The substances mentioned above exemplify the two basic types of chemical compounds: molecular (covalent) and ionic. Methane and water are composed of molecules; that is, they are molecular compounds. Sodium chloride, on the other hand, contains ions; it is an ionic compound.The atoms of the various chemical elements can be likened to the letters of the alphabet: just as the letters of the alphabet are combined to form thousands of words, the atoms of the elements can combine in various ways to form a myriad of compounds. In fact, there are millions of chemical compounds known, and many more millions are possible but have not yet been discovered or synthesized. Most substances found in nature—such as wood, soil, and rocks—are mixtures of chemical compounds. These substances can be separated into their constituent compounds by physical methods, which are methods that do not change the way in which atoms are aggregated within the compounds. Compounds can be broken down into their constituent elements by chemical changes. A chemical change (that is, a chemical reaction) is one in which the organization of the atoms is altered. An example of a chemical reaction is the burning of methane in the presence of molecular oxygen (O2) to form carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O In this reaction, which is an example of a combustion reaction, changes occur in the way that the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are bound together in the compounds.
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mercury (Hg)Mercury (chemical symbol: Hg) is the only metal element that is liquid at room temperature.(more)Chemical compounds show a bewildering array of characteristics. At ordinary temperatures and pressures, some are solids, some are liquids, and some are gases. The colours of the various compounds span those of the rainbow. Some compounds are highly toxic to humans, whereas others are essential for life. Substitution of only a single atom within a compound may be responsible for changing the colour, odour, or toxicity of a substance. So that some sense can be made out of this great diversity, classification systems have been developed. An example cited above classifies compounds as molecular or ionic. Compounds are also classified as organic or inorganic. Organic compounds (see below Organic compounds), so called because many of them were originally isolated from living organisms, typically contain chains or rings of carbon atoms. Because of the great variety of ways that carbon can bond with itself and other elements, there are more than nine million organic compounds. The compounds that are not considered to be organic are called inorganic compounds (see below Inorganic compounds).Within the broad classifications of organic and inorganic are many subclasses, mainly based on the specific elements or groups of elements that are present. For example, among the inorganic compounds, oxides contain O2− ions or oxygen atoms, hydrides contain H− ions or hydrogen atoms, sulfides contain S2− ions, and so forth. Subclasses of organic compounds include alcohols (which contain the ―OH group), carboxylic acids (characterized by the ―COOH group), amines (which have an ―NH2 group), and so on.
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The periodic table periodic tableThe periodic table of the elements.(more)The different abilities of the various atoms to combine to form compounds can best be understood in terms of the periodic table. The periodic table was originally constructed to represent the patterns observed in the chemical properties of the elements (see chemical bonding). That is to say, as the science of chemistry developed, it was observed that elements could be grouped according to their chemical reactivity. Elements with similar properties are listed in vertical columns of the periodic table and are called groups. As the details of the atomic structure were revealed, it became clear that the position of an element in the periodic table correlates with the arrangement of the electrons possessed by the atoms of that element (see atom). In particular, it was observed that the electrons that determine the chemical behaviour of an atom are those in its outermost shell. Such electrons are called valence electrons. For example, the atoms of the elements in Group 1 of the periodic table all have one valence electron, the atoms of the elements in Group 2 have two valence electrons, and so on, until Group 18, whose elements contain eight valence electrons, is reached. The simplest and most important rule for predicting how atoms form compounds is that atoms tend to combine in ways that allow them either to empty their valence shell or to complete it (i.e., fill it up), in most cases with a total of eight electrons. Elements on the left side of the periodic table tend to lose their valence electrons in chemical reactions. Sodium (in Group 1), for example, tends to lose its lone valence electron to form an ion with a charge of +1. Each sodium atom has 11 electrons (e−), each with a charge of −1, to just balance the +11 charge on its nucleus. Losing one electron leaves it with 10 negative charges and 11 positive charges to give a net +1 charge: Na → Na+ + e−. Potassium, located directly beneath sodium in Group 1, also forms +1 ions (K+) in its reactions, as do the remaining members of Group 1: rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). The atoms of the elements toward the right end of the periodic table tend to undergo reactions such that they gain (or share) enough electrons to complete their valence shell. For example, oxygen in Group 16 has six valence electrons and thus needs two more electrons to complete its outermost shell. Oxygen achieves this arrangement by reacting with elements that can lose or share electrons. An oxygen atom, for instance, can react with a magnesium (Mg) atom (in Group 2) by taking magnesium’s two valence electrons, producing Mg2+ and O2− ions. (When a neutral magnesium atom loses two electrons, it forms the Mg2+ ion, and, when a neutral oxygen atom gains two electrons, it forms the O2− ion.) The resulting Mg2+ and O2− then combine in a 1:1 ratio to give the ionic compound MgO (magnesium oxide). (Although the compound magnesium oxide contains charged species, it has no net charge, because it contains equal numbers of Mg2+ and O2− ions.) Likewise, oxygen reacts with calcium (just below magnesium in Group 2) to form CaO (calcium oxide). Oxygen reacts in a similar way with beryllium (Be), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra), the remaining elements in Group 2. The key point is that, because all the elements in a given group have the same number of valence electrons, they form similar compounds. The chemical elements can be classified in many different ways. The most fundamental division of the elements is into metals, which constitute the majority of the elements, and nonmetals. The typical physical properties of metals are lustrous appearance, malleability (the ability to be pounded into a thin sheet), ductility (the ability to be drawn into a wire), and efficient thermal and electrical conductivity. The most important chemical property of metals is the tendency to give up electrons to form positive ions. Copper (Cu), for example, is a typical metal. It is lustrous but easily tarnishes; it is an excellent conductor of electricity and is commonly used for electrical wires; and it is readily formed into products of various shapes, such as pipes for water systems. Copper is found in many ionic compounds in the form of either the Cu+ or the Cu2+ ion. metallic elements in the periodic tableMetals, nonmetals, and metalloids are represented in different regions of the periodic table.(more)The metallic elements are found on the left side and in the centre of the periodic table. The metals of Groups 1 and 2 are called the representative metals; those in the centre of the periodic table are called the transition metals. The lanthanoids and actinoids shown below the periodic table are special classes of transition metals. The nonmetals, which are relatively few in number, are found in the upper right-hand corner of the periodic table—except for hydrogen, the only nonmetallic member of Group 1. The physical properties characteristic of metals are absent in nonmetals. In chemical reactions with metals, nonmetals gain electrons to form negative ions. Nonmetallic elements also react with other nonmetals, in this case forming molecular compounds. Chlorine is a typical nonmetal. At ordinary temperatures, elemental chlorine contains Cl2 molecules and reacts with other nonmetals to form molecules such as HCl, CCl4, and PCl3. Chlorine reacts with metals to form ionic compounds containing Cl− ions.
The division of the elements into metals and nonmetals is only approximate. A few elements along the dividing line exhibit both metallic and nonmetallic properties and are called metalloids, or semimetals.
What Is a Compound in Chemistry? Definition and Examples
What Is a Compound in Chemistry? Definition and Examples Home Science Notes PostsContact Science NotesAbout Science NotesTodd Helmenstine BiographyAnne Helmenstine BiographyPeriodic Tables Free Printable Periodic Tables (PDF and PNG)Periodic Table WallpapersInteractive Periodic TablePeriodic Table PostersScience Projects How to Grow CrystalsChemistry ProjectsFire and Flames ProjectsHoliday ScienceHomework Problems Chemistry Problems With AnswersPhysics ProblemsUnit Conversion Example ProblemsWorksheets Chemistry WorksheetsBiology WorksheetsPeriodic Table WorksheetsPhysical Science WorksheetsScience Lab WorksheetsRedbubbleMy Amazon Books Search for: Home » Science Notes Posts » Chemistry » Chemistry Notes » What Is a Compound in Chemistry? Definition and Examples What Is a Compound in Chemistry? Definition and Examples This entry was posted on October 24, 2020 by Anne Helmenstine (updated on August 17, 2021)A compound consists of two or more elements chemically bonded in a fixed ratio. All compounds are examples of molecules, but molecules also include substances consisting of only one element, chemically bonded to itself.In chemistry, a compound is a substance made of two or more elements chemically bonded to each other in a fixed ratio. The chemical bonds between atoms of elements involve a transfer or sharing of valence of electrons. This give a compound different properties from its elements. A compound may be represented by a chemical formula that shows the element symbols of the atoms and their proportions.Examples of CompoundsExamples of compounds include any substance with more than one element and a fixed ratio between them. For example, the ratio between hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a water molecule (H2O) is always 2:1. Whether you have a milliliter or 50 liters of water, every particle has the same 2:1 ratio between hydrogen and oxygen atoms. This ratio is important because the same elements can combine in different proportions to form compounds with completely different properties. For example, water (H2O) is quite different from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), even though they both consist of hydrogen and oxygen atoms.Examples of compounds and their names include:Water (H2O)Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)Carbon monoxide (CO)Carbon dioxide (CO2)Methane (CH4)Sodium chloride (NaCl)Glucose (C6H12O6)Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)Acetic acid (C2H4O2)Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)Ammonia (NH3)Nitrous oxide (N2O)Gallium arsenide (GaAs)Examples of substances which are not compounds include the hydrogen ion (H+) and the noble gas elements (e.g., Ar, Kr, Ne). Because there is only one element, the pure metals and diatomic nonmetals often are not considered to be compounds (e.g., gold, copper, H2, F2).Difference Between a Compound and a MoleculeAll compounds are examples of molecules, but not all molecules are compounds.According to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), a molecule is defined as an electrically neutral substance consisting of more than one atom. This includes compounds, plus it includes diatomic and triatomic elements, such as oxygen (O2), chlorine (Cl2), and ozone (O3). By this definition, many superconductors are molecules, but not compounds, because their chemical formula does not have a fixed ratio. An example is a YBCO superconductor, which has a formula YBa2Cu3O7-x. (x could be 0.15).Types of CompoundsCompounds are classified according to the type of chemical bonds formed between the atoms. These bonds may be ionic, covalent, metallic, or a mixture of ionic and covalent bonds. Covalent or molecular compounds are held together by covalent bonds.Ionic compounds are held together by ionic bonds.Complexes are held together by coordinate covalent bonds.Intermetallic compounds are held together by metallic bonds.How to Write Compound FormulasCompound names and formulas are written listing the atom or group of atoms acting as a cation first, followed the atom or group of atoms acting as an anion second. Because atoms of elements have different oxidation states, an element may be in either the beginning or end of the formula, depending on other elements. For example, carbon (C) is a cation in carbon dioxide (CO2) and anion in silicon carbon (SiC).The number of atoms of an element are indicated using subscripts. If there is only one atom of an element, the subscript is omitted. Water is a compound made of two hydrogen atoms (H) and one oxygen atom (O). H2O is correct, but H2O1 is not. Table salt (sodium chloride) consists of one sodium atom bonded to one chlorine atom. Its chemical formula is NaCl and not Na1Cl1.ReferencesBrown, Theodore L.; LeMay, H. Eugene; Bursten, Bruce E.; Murphy, Catherine J.; Woodward, Patrick (2013). Chemistry: The Central Science (3rd ed.), Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson/Prentice Hall. ISBN 9781442559462.IUPAC (1997). “Molecule”. Compendium of Chemical Terminology (2nd ed.) (the “Gold Book). Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8. doi:10.1351/goldbookHill, John W.; Petrucci, Ralph H.; McCreary, Terry W.; Perry, Scott S. (2005). General Chemistry (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-140283-6.Whitten, Kenneth W.; Davis, Raymond E.; Peck, M. Larry (2000). General Chemistry (6th ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Saunders College Publishing/Harcourt College Publishers. ISBN 978-0-03-072373-5.Related Posts CategoriesCategoriesSelect Category4th of July7th Grade ScienceAlchemyAnalytical ChemistryAstronomyBiochemistryBiologyBiology DictionaryChemistryChemistry DictionaryChemistry NotesChemistry ProblemsChemistry ProjectsCrystalsElement GroupsElement QuizzesElementsEnergyEventsFamous ScientistsFire and Flames ProjectsFood ChemistryFree Science PrintablesGeologyGlow in the DarkHalloweenHoliday ScienceHow Stuff WorksIceland Solar Eclipse and AuroraLaboratoryMarine BiologyMaterialsMathematicsMeasurementNanochemistryOceanographyOpticsPeriodic TablePhysicsPhysics Example ProblemsScience DictionariesScience FairScience HistoryScience NotesScience Notes by GradeScience ProjectsScience QuizzesScientific MethodTechTravelUncategorizedWeatherWorksheets and Quizzes Free Printable Periodic Tables (PDF and PNG)Periodic Table with Atomic MassPlant Cell - Diagram, Organelles, and CharacteristicsPeriodic Table with Charges - 118 ElementsPeriodic Table For Kids With 118 Elements · © 2024 Science Notes and Projects · Designed by Press Customizr ·· Cookies Policy · Terms of Service ·compounds_百度百科
ounds_百度百科 网页新闻贴吧知道网盘图片视频地图文库资讯采购百科百度首页登录注册进入词条全站搜索帮助首页秒懂百科特色百科知识专题加入百科百科团队权威合作下载百科APP个人中心compounds播报讨论上传视频英语单词收藏查看我的收藏0有用+10本词条缺少概述图，补充相关内容使词条更完整，还能快速升级，赶紧来编辑吧！compoundn. ['kɒmpaʊnd] ( compounds ) 双解释义C 1.复合物,化合物; 复合词 thing made up of two or more separate things combined together; substance consisting or two or more elements chemically combinedC 2.(筑有围墙的)院子,(围起来的)场地 an area enclosed by a wall, fence, etc.containing a group of buildings.中文名复合外文名compounds词语类型英文单词compound n.['kɒmpaʊnd] ( compounds )双解释义C1.复合物,化合物; 复合词thing made up of two or more separate things combined together; substance consisting or two or more elements chemically combinedC2.(筑有围墙的)院子,(围起来的)场地an area enclosed by a wall, fence, etc.containing a group of buildings词汇搭配形容词+～chemical compound化合物organic compound有机化合物名词+～factory compound工厂区temple compound寺院～+介词compound of…化合物compound of sodium and chlorine钠和氯的化合物句型例句When two or more elements combine and form a compound, a chemical change takes place.当两种或两种以上的元素结合形成化合物时,发生化学变化。Many words are compounds, such as blackboard, inkpot, and the like.许多词是复合词,如blackboard, inkpot等等。The compound was subdivided into four living areas.那个区域被划分成四块居住小区。They blocked the compound gate.No one of the bandits got away.他们堵住了大门,匪徒一个也没跑掉。词语辨异compound, amalgam, blend, composite, mixture参见mixture条。新手上路成长任务编辑入门编辑规则本人编辑我有疑问内容质疑在线客服官方贴吧意见反馈投诉建议举报不良信息未通过词条申诉投诉侵权信息封禁查询与解封©2024 Baidu 使用百度前必读 | 百科协议 | 隐私政策 | 百度百科合作平台 | 京ICP证030173号 京公网安备1100000200003.1: Types of Chemical Compounds and their Formulas - Chemistry LibreTexts
3.1: Types of Chemical Compounds and their Formulas - Chemistry LibreTexts
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Learning ObjectivesNoteCovalent Molecules and CompoundsNoteExample \(\PageIndex{1}\)Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)Representations of Molecular StructuresExample \(\PageIndex{2}\)Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)Ionic CompoundsNoteNoteNoteExample \(\PageIndex{3}\)Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)Physical Properties of Ionic and Covalent CompoundsThe Learning Objective of this Module is to describe the composition of a chemical compound.NoteBinary Ionic CompoundsExample \(\PageIndex{4}\)Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)Polyatomic IonsExample \(\PageIndex{5}\)Exercise \(\PageIndex{5}\)Summary
Learning Objectives
To understand the differences between covalent and ionic bonding.
The atoms in all substances that contain multiple atoms are held together by electrostatic interactions—interactions between electrically charged particles such as protons and electrons. Electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged species (positive and negative) results in a force that causes them to move toward each other, like the attraction between opposite poles of two magnets. In contrast, electrostatic repulsion between two species with the same charge (either both positive or both negative) results in a force that causes them to repel each other, as do the same poles of two magnets. Atoms form chemical compounds when the attractive electrostatic interactions between them are stronger than the repulsive interactions. Collectively, the attractive interactions between atoms are called chemical bonds.
Chemical bonds are generally divided into two fundamentally different types: ionic and covalent. In reality, however, the bonds in most substances are neither purely ionic nor purely covalent, but lie on a spectrum between these extremes. Although purely ionic and purely covalent bonds represent extreme cases that are seldom encountered in any but very simple substances, a brief discussion of these two extremes helps explain why substances with different kinds of chemical bonds have very different properties. Ionic compounds consist of positively and negatively charged ions held together by strong electrostatic forces, whereas covalent compounds generally consist of molecules, which are groups of atoms in which one or more pairs of electrons are shared between bonded atoms. In a covalent bond, atoms are held together by the electrostatic attraction between the positively charged nuclei of the bonded atoms and the negatively charged electrons they share. This discussion of structures and formulas begins by describing covalent compounds. The energetic factors involved in bond formation are described in more quantitative detail in later.
Note
Ionic compounds consist of ions of opposite charges held together by strong electrostatic forces, whereas pairs of electrons are shared between bonded atoms in covalent compounds.
Covalent Molecules and Compounds
Just as an atom is the simplest unit that has the fundamental chemical properties of an element, a molecule is the simplest unit that has the fundamental chemical properties of a covalent compound. Some pure elements exist as covalent molecules. Hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and the halogens occur naturally as the diatomic (“two atoms”) molecules H2, N2, O2, F2, Cl2, Br2, and I2 (part (a) in Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). Similarly, a few pure elements exist as polyatomic (“many atoms”) molecules, such as elemental phosphorus and sulfur, which occur as P4 and S8 (part (b) in Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)).
Each covalent compound is represented by a molecular formula, which gives the atomic symbol for each component element, in a prescribed order, accompanied by a subscript indicating the number of atoms of that element in the molecule. The subscript is written only if the number of atoms is greater than 1. For example, water, with two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom per molecule, is written as \(H_2O\). Similarly, carbon dioxide, which contains one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms in each molecule, is written as \(CO_2\).
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Elements That Exist as Covalent Molecules. (a) Several elements naturally exist as diatomic molecules, in which two atoms (E) are joined by one or more covalent bonds to form a molecule with the general formula E2. (b) A few elements naturally exist as polyatomic molecules, which contain more than two atoms. For example, phosphorus exists as P4 tetrahedra—regular polyhedra with four triangular sides—with a phosphorus atom at each vertex. Elemental sulfur consists of a puckered ring of eight sulfur atoms connected by single bonds. Selenium is not shown due to the complexity of its structure.
Covalent compounds that predominantly contain carbon and hydrogen are called organic compounds. The convention for representing the formulas of organic compounds is to write carbon first, followed by hydrogen and then any other elements in alphabetical order (e.g., CH4O is methyl alcohol, a fuel). Compounds that consist primarily of elements other than carbon and hydrogen are called inorganic compounds; they include both covalent and ionic compounds. In inorganic compounds, the component elements are listed beginning with the one farthest to the left in the periodic table, as in CO2 or SF6. Those in the same group are listed beginning with the lower element and working up, as in ClF. By convention, however, when an inorganic compound contains both hydrogen and an element from groups 13–15, hydrogen is usually listed last in the formula. Examples are ammonia (NH3) and silane (SiH4). Compounds such as water, whose compositions were established long before this convention was adopted, are always written with hydrogen first: Water is always written as H2O, not OH2. The conventions for inorganic acids, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4), are described elswhere.
Note
For organic compounds: write C first, then H, and then the other elements in alphabetical order. For molecular inorganic compounds: start with the element at far left in the periodic table; list elements in same group beginning with the lower element and working up.
Example \(\PageIndex{1}\)
Write the molecular formula of each compound.
The phosphorus-sulfur compound that is responsible for the ignition of so-called strike anywhere matches has 4 phosphorus atoms and 3 sulfur atoms per molecule.
Ethyl alcohol, the alcohol of alcoholic beverages, has 1 oxygen atom, 2 carbon atoms, and 6 hydrogen atoms per molecule.
Freon-11, once widely used in automobile air conditioners and implicated in damage to the ozone layer, has 1 carbon atom, 3 chlorine atoms, and 1 fluorine atom per molecule.
Given: identity of elements present and number of atoms of each
Asked for: molecular formula
Strategy:
A Identify the symbol for each element in the molecule. Then identify the substance as either an organic compound or an inorganic compound.
B If the substance is an organic compound, arrange the elements in order beginning with carbon and hydrogen and then list the other elements alphabetically. If it is an inorganic compound, list the elements beginning with the one farthest left in the periodic table. List elements in the same group starting with the lower element and working up.
C From the information given, add a subscript for each kind of atom to write the molecular formula.
Solution:
a.
A The molecule has 4 phosphorus atoms and 3 sulfur atoms. Because the compound does not contain mostly carbon and hydrogen, it is inorganic.
B Phosphorus is in group 15, and sulfur is in group 16. Because phosphorus is to the left of sulfur, it is written first.
C Writing the number of each kind of atom as a right-hand subscript gives P4S3 as the molecular formula.
b.
A Ethyl alcohol contains predominantly carbon and hydrogen, so it is an organic compound.
B The formula for an organic compound is written with the number of carbon atoms first, the number of hydrogen atoms next, and the other atoms in alphabetical order: CHO.
C Adding subscripts gives the molecular formula \(\ce{C2H6O}\).
c.
A Freon-11 contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. It can be viewed as either an inorganic compound or an organic compound (in which fluorine has replaced hydrogen). The formula for Freon-11 can therefore be written using either of the two conventions.
B According to the convention for inorganic compounds, carbon is written first because it is farther left in the periodic table. Fluorine and chlorine are in the same group, so they are listed beginning with the lower element and working up: CClF. Adding subscripts gives the molecular formula CCl3F.
C We obtain the same formula for Freon-11 using the convention for organic compounds. The number of carbon atoms is written first, followed by the number of hydrogen atoms (zero) and then the other elements in alphabetical order, also giving CCl3F.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)
Write the molecular formula for each compound.
Nitrous oxide, also called “laughing gas,” has 2 nitrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom per molecule. Nitrous oxide is used as a mild anesthetic for minor surgery and as the propellant in cans of whipped cream.
Sucrose, also known as cane sugar, has 12 carbon atoms, 11 oxygen atoms, and 22 hydrogen atoms.
Sulfur hexafluoride, a gas used to pressurize “unpressurized” tennis balls and as a coolant in nuclear reactors, has 6 fluorine atoms and 1 sulfur atom per molecule.
Answer:
N2O
C12H22O11
SF6
Representations of Molecular Structures
Molecular formulas give only the elemental composition of molecules. In contrast, structural formulas show which atoms are bonded to one another and, in some cases, the approximate arrangement of the atoms in space. Knowing the structural formula of a compound enables chemists to create a three-dimensional model, which provides information about how that compound will behave physically and chemically.
Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Molecules That Contain Single, Double, and Triple Bonds. Hydrogen (H2) has a single bond between atoms. Oxygen (O2) has a double bond between atoms, indicated by two lines (=). Nitrogen (N2) has a triple bond between atoms, indicated by three lines (≡). Each bond represents an electron pair.
The structural formula for H2 can be drawn as H–H and that for I2 as I–I, where the line indicates a single pair of shared electrons, a single bond. Two pairs of electrons are shared in a double bond, which is indicated by two lines—for example, O2 is O=O. Three electron pairs are shared in a triple bond, which is indicated by three lines—for example, N2 is N≡N (Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\)). Carbon is unique in the extent to which it forms single, double, and triple bonds to itself and other elements. The number of bonds formed by an atom in its covalent compounds is not arbitrary. Hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon have very strong tendencies to form substances in which they have one, two, three, and four bonds to other atoms, respectively (Table \(\PageIndex{1}\)).
Table \(\PageIndex{1}\): The Number of Bonds That Selected Atoms Commonly Form to Other Atoms
Atom
Number of Bonds
H (group 1)
1
O (group 16)
2
N (group 15)
3
C (group 14)
4
The structural formula for water can be drawn as follows:
Because the latter approximates the experimentally determined shape of the water molecule, it is more informative. Similarly, ammonia (NH3) and methane (CH4) are often written as planar molecules:
As shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\), however, the actual three-dimensional structure of NH3 looks like a pyramid with a triangular base of three hydrogen atoms. The structure of CH4, with four hydrogen atoms arranged around a central carbon atom as shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\), is tetrahedral: the hydrogen atoms are positioned at every other vertex of a cube. Many compounds—carbon compounds, in particular—have four bonded atoms arranged around a central atom to form a tetrahedron.
Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): The Three-Dimensional Structures of Water, Ammonia, and Methane. (a) Water is a V-shaped molecule, in which all three atoms lie in a plane. (b) In contrast, ammonia has a pyramidal structure, in which the three hydrogen atoms form the base of the pyramid and the nitrogen atom is at the vertex. (c) The four hydrogen atoms of methane form a tetrahedron; the carbon atom lies in the center.
Figures \(\PageIndex{3}\)-\(\PageIndex{3}\) illustrate different ways to represent the structures of molecules. It should be clear that there is no single “best” way to draw the structure of a molecule; the method used depends on which aspect of the structure should be emphasized and how much time and effort is required. Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\) shows some of the different ways to portray the structure of a slightly more complex molecule: methanol. These representations differ greatly in their information content. For example, the molecular formula for methanol (part (a) in Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)) gives only the number of each kind of atom; writing methanol as CH4O tells nothing about its structure. In contrast, the structural formula (part (b) in Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)) indicates how the atoms are connected, but it makes methanol look as if it is planar (which it is not). Both the ball-and-stick model (part (c) in Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)) and the perspective drawing (part (d) in Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)) show the three-dimensional structure of the molecule. The latter (also called a wedge-and-dash representation) is the easiest way to sketch the structure of a molecule in three dimensions. It shows which atoms are above and below the plane of the paper by using wedges and dashes, respectively; the central atom is always assumed to be in the plane of the paper. The space-filling model (part (e) in Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)) illustrates the approximate relative sizes of the atoms in the molecule, but it does not show the bonds between the atoms. In addition, in a space-filling model, atoms at the “front” of the molecule may obscure atoms at the “back.”
Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): Different Ways of Representing the Structure of a Molecule. (a) The molecular formula for methanol gives only the number of each kind of atom present. (b) The structural formula shows which atoms are connected. (c) The ball-and-stick model shows the atoms as spheres and the bonds as sticks. (d) A perspective drawing (also called a wedge-and-dash representation) attempts to show the three-dimensional structure of the molecule. (e) The space-filling model shows the atoms in the molecule but not the bonds. (f) The condensed structural formula is by far the easiest and most common way to represent a molecule.
Although a structural formula, a ball-and-stick model, a perspective drawing, and a space-filling model provide a significant amount of information about the structure of a molecule, each requires time and effort. Consequently, chemists often use a condensed structural formula (part (f) in Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)), which omits the lines representing bonds between atoms and simply lists the atoms bonded to a given atom next to it. Multiple groups attached to the same atom are shown in parentheses, followed by a subscript that indicates the number of such groups. For example, the condensed structural formula for methanol is CH3OH, which indicates that the molecule contains a CH3 unit that looks like a fragment of methane (CH4). Methanol can therefore be viewed either as a methane molecule in which one hydrogen atom has been replaced by an –OH group or as a water molecule in which one hydrogen atom has been replaced by a –CH3 fragment. Because of their ease of use and information content, we use condensed structural formulas for molecules throughout this text. Ball-and-stick models are used when needed to illustrate the three-dimensional structure of molecules, and space-filling models are used only when it is necessary to visualize the relative sizes of atoms or molecules to understand an important point.
Example \(\PageIndex{2}\)
Write the molecular formula for each compound. The condensed structural formula is given.
Sulfur monochloride (also called disulfur dichloride) is a vile-smelling, corrosive yellow liquid used in the production of synthetic rubber. Its condensed structural formula is ClSSCl.
Ethylene glycol is the major ingredient in antifreeze. Its condensed structural formula is HOCH2CH2OH.
Trimethylamine is one of the substances responsible for the smell of spoiled fish. Its condensed structural formula is (CH3)3N.
Given: condensed structural formula
Asked for: molecular formula
Strategy:
Identify every element in the condensed structural formula and then determine whether the compound is organic or inorganic.
As appropriate, use either organic or inorganic convention to list the elements. Then add appropriate subscripts to indicate the number of atoms of each element present in the molecular formula.
Solution:
The molecular formula lists the elements in the molecule and the number of atoms of each.
A Each molecule of sulfur monochloride has two sulfur atoms and two chlorine atoms. Because it does not contain mostly carbon and hydrogen, it is an inorganic compound. B Sulfur lies to the left of chlorine in the periodic table, so it is written first in the formula. Adding subscripts gives the molecular formula S2Cl2.
A Counting the atoms in ethylene glycol, we get six hydrogen atoms, two carbon atoms, and two oxygen atoms per molecule. The compound consists mostly of carbon and hydrogen atoms, so it is organic. B As with all organic compounds, C and H are written first in the molecular formula. Adding appropriate subscripts gives the molecular formula C2H6O2.
A The condensed structural formula shows that trimethylamine contains three CH3 units, so we have one nitrogen atom, three carbon atoms, and nine hydrogen atoms per molecule. Because trimethylamine contains mostly carbon and hydrogen, it is an organic compound. B According to the convention for organic compounds, C and H are written first, giving the molecular formula C3H9N.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)
Write the molecular formula for each molecule.
Chloroform, which was one of the first anesthetics and was used in many cough syrups until recently, contains one carbon atom, one hydrogen atom, and three chlorine atoms. Its condensed structural formula is CHCl3.
Hydrazine is used as a propellant in the attitude jets of the space shuttle. Its condensed structural formula is H2NNH2.
Putrescine is a pungent-smelling compound first isolated from extracts of rotting meat. Its condensed structural formula is H2NCH2CH2CH2CH2NH2. This is often written as H2N(CH2)4NH2 to indicate that there are four CH2 fragments linked together.
Answer a
CHCl3
Answer b
N2H4
Answer c
C4H12N2
Ionic Compounds
The substances described in the preceding discussion are composed of molecules that are electrically neutral; that is, the number of positively-charged protons in the nucleus is equal to the number of negatively-charged electrons. In contrast, ions are atoms or assemblies of atoms that have a net electrical charge. Ions that contain fewer electrons than protons have a net positive charge and are called cations. Conversely, ions that contain more electrons than protons have a net negative charge and are called anions. Ionic compounds contain both cations and anions in a ratio that results in no net electrical charge.
Note
Ionic compounds contain both cations and anions in a ratio that results in zero electrical charge.
Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\): Covalent and Ionic Bonding. (a) In molecular hydrogen (H2), two hydrogen atoms share two electrons to form a covalent bond. (b) The ionic compound NaCl forms when electrons from sodium atoms are transferred to chlorine atoms. The resulting Na+ and Cl− ions form a three-dimensional solid that is held together by attractive electrostatic interactions.
In covalent compounds, electrons are shared between bonded atoms and are simultaneously attracted to more than one nucleus. In contrast, ionic compounds contain cations and anions rather than discrete neutral molecules. Ionic compounds are held together by the attractive electrostatic interactions between cations and anions. In an ionic compound, the cations and anions are arranged in space to form an extended three-dimensional array that maximizes the number of attractive electrostatic interactions and minimizes the number of repulsive electrostatic interactions (Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\)). As shown in Equation 3.1.1, the electrostatic energy of the interaction between two charged particles is proportional to the product of the charges on the particles and inversely proportional to the distance between them:
\[ \text {electrostatic energy} \propto {Q_1Q_2 \over r} \label{3.1.1}\]
where
\(Q_1\) and \(Q_2\) are the electrical charges on particles 1 and 2, and
\(r\) is the distance between them.
When \(Q_1\) and \(Q_2\) are both positive, corresponding to the charges on cations, the cations repel each other and the electrostatic energy is positive. When \(Q_1\) and \(Q_2\) are both negative, corresponding to the charges on anions, the anions repel each other and the electrostatic energy is again positive. The electrostatic energy is negative only when the charges have opposite signs; that is, positively charged species are attracted to negatively charged species and vice versa. As shown in Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\), the strength of the interaction is proportional to the magnitude of the charges and decreases as the distance between the particles increases. These energetic factors are discussed in greater quantitative detail later.
Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\): The Effect of Charge and Distance on the Strength of Electrostatic Interactions. As the charge on ions increases or the distance between ions decreases, so does the strength of the attractive (−…+) or repulsive (−…− or +…+) interactions. The strength of these interactions is represented by the thickness of the arrows.
Note
If the electrostatic energy is positive, the particles repel each other; if the electrostatic energy is negative, the particles are attracted to each other.
One example of an ionic compound is sodium chloride (NaCl), formed from sodium and chlorine. In forming chemical compounds, many elements have a tendency to gain or lose enough electrons to attain the same number of electrons as the noble gas closest to them in the periodic table. When sodium and chlorine come into contact, each sodium atom gives up an electron to become a Na+ ion, with 11 protons in its nucleus but only 10 electrons (like neon), and each chlorine atom gains an electron to become a Cl− ion, with 17 protons in its nucleus and 18 electrons (like argon), as shown in part (b) in Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\). Solid sodium chloride contains equal numbers of cations (Na+) and anions (Cl−), thus maintaining electrical neutrality. Each Na+ ion is surrounded by 6 Cl− ions, and each Cl− ion is surrounded by 6 Na+ ions. Because of the large number of attractive Na+Cl− interactions, the total attractive electrostatic energy in NaCl is great.
Consistent with a tendency to have the same number of electrons as the nearest noble gas, when forming ions, elements in groups 1, 2, and 3 tend to lose one, two, and three electrons, respectively, to form cations, such as Na+ and Mg2+. They then have the same number of electrons as the nearest noble gas: neon. Similarly, K+, Ca2+, and Sc3+ have 18 electrons each, like the nearest noble gas: argon. In addition, the elements in group 13 lose three electrons to form cations, such as Al3+, again attaining the same number of electrons as the noble gas closest to them in the periodic table. Because the lanthanides and actinides formally belong to group 3, the most common ion formed by these elements is M3+, where M represents the metal. Conversely, elements in groups 17, 16, and 15 often react to gain one, two, and three electrons, respectively, to form ions such as Cl−, S2−, and P3−. Ions such as these, which contain only a single atom, are called monatomic ions. The charges of most monatomic ions derived from the main group elements can be predicted by simply looking at the periodic table and counting how many columns an element lies from the extreme left or right. For example, barium (in Group 2) forms Ba2+ to have the same number of electrons as its nearest noble gas, xenon; oxygen (in Group 16) forms O2− to have the same number of electrons as neon; and cesium (in Group 1) forms Cs+, which has the same number of electrons as xenon. Note that this method is ineffective for most of the transition metals, as discussed in Section 2.3. Some common monatomic ions are listed in Table \(\PageIndex{2}\).
Note
Elements in Groups 1, 2, and 3 tend to form 1+, 2+, and 3+ ions, respectively; elements in Groups 15, 16, and 17 tend to form 3−, 2−, and 1− ions, respectively.
Table \(\PageIndex{2}\): Some Common Monatomic Ions and Their Names
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 13
Group 15
Group 16
Group 17
Li+
lithium
Be2+
beryllium
N3−
nitride
(azide)
O2−
oxide
F−
fluoride
Na+
sodium
Mg2+
magnesium
Al3+
aluminum
P3−
phosphide
S2−
sulfide
Cl−
chloride
K+
potassium
Ca2+
calcium
Sc3+
scandium
Ga3+
gallium
As3−
arsenide
Se2−
selenide
Br−
bromide
Rb+
rubidium
Sr2+
strontium
Y3+
yttrium
In3+
indium
Te2−
telluride
I−
iodide
Cs+
cesium
Ba2+
barium
La3+
lanthanum
Example \(\PageIndex{3}\)
Predict the charge on the most common monatomic ion formed by each element.
aluminum, used in the quantum logic clock, the world’s most precise clock
selenium, used to make ruby-colored glass
yttrium, used to make high-performance spark plugs
Given: element
Asked for: ionic charge
Strategy:
A Identify the group in the periodic table to which the element belongs. Based on its location in the periodic table, decide whether the element is a metal, which tends to lose electrons; a nonmetal, which tends to gain electrons; or a semimetal, which can do either.
B After locating the noble gas that is closest to the element, determine the number of electrons the element must gain or lose to have the same number of electrons as the nearest noble gas.
Solution:
A Aluminum is a metal in group 13; consequently, it will tend to lose electrons. B The nearest noble gas to aluminum is neon. Aluminum will lose three electrons to form the Al3+ ion, which has the same number of electrons as neon.
A Selenium is a nonmetal in group 16, so it will tend to gain electrons. B The nearest noble gas is krypton, so we predict that selenium will gain two electrons to form the Se2− ion, which has the same number of electrons as krypton.
A Yttrium is in group 3, and elements in this group are metals that tend to lose electrons. B The nearest noble gas to yttrium is krypton, so yttrium is predicted to lose three electrons to form Y3+, which has the same number of electrons as krypton.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)
Predict the charge on the most common monatomic ion formed by each element.
calcium, used to prevent osteoporosis
iodine, required for the synthesis of thyroid hormones
zirconium, widely used in nuclear reactors
Answer:
Ca2+
I−
Zr4+
Molecular and Ionic Compounds: https://youtu.be/zJejgCll1bw
Physical Properties of Ionic and Covalent Compounds
In general, ionic and covalent compounds have different physical properties. Ionic compounds form hard crystalline solids that melt at high temperatures and are resistant to evaporation. These properties stem from the characteristic internal structure of an ionic solid, illustrated schematically in part (a) in Figure \(\PageIndex{8}\) which shows the three-dimensional array of alternating positive and negative ions held together by strong electrostatic attractions. In contrast, as shown in part (b) in Figure \(\PageIndex{8}\) most covalent compounds consist of discrete molecules held together by comparatively weak intermolecular forces (the forces between molecules), even though the atoms within each molecule are held together by strong intramolecular covalent bonds (the forces within the molecule). Covalent substances can be gases, liquids, or solids at room temperature and pressure, depending on the strength of the intermolecular interactions. Covalent molecular solids tend to form soft crystals that melt at low temperatures and evaporate easily.Some covalent substances, however, are not molecular but consist of infinite three-dimensional arrays of covalently bonded atoms and include some of the hardest materials known, such as diamond. This topic will be addressed elsewhere. The covalent bonds that hold the atoms together in the molecules are unaffected when covalent substances melt or evaporate, so a liquid or vapor of independent molecules is formed. For example, at room temperature, methane, the major constituent of natural gas, is a gas that is composed of discrete CH4 molecules. A comparison of the different physical properties of ionic compounds and covalent molecular substances is given in Table \(\PageIndex{3}\).
Table \(\PageIndex{3}\): The Physical Properties of Typical Ionic Compounds and Covalent Molecular Substances
Ionic Compounds
Covalent Molecular Substances
hard solids
gases, liquids, or soft solids
high melting points
low melting points
nonvolatile
volatile
Figure \(\PageIndex{8}\): Interactions in Ionic and Covalent Solids. (a) The positively and negatively charged ions in an ionic solid such as sodium chloride (NaCl) are held together by strong electrostatic interactions. (b) In this representation of the packing of methane (CH4) molecules in solid methane, a prototypical molecular solid, the methane molecules are held together in the solid only by relatively weak intermolecular forces, even though the atoms within each methane molecule are held together by strong covalent bonds.
The Learning Objective of this Module is to describe the composition of a chemical compound.
When chemists synthesize a new compound, they may not yet know its molecular or structural formula. In such cases, they usually begin by determining its empirical formula, the relative numbers of atoms of the elements in a compound, reduced to the smallest whole numbers. Because the empirical formula is based on experimental measurements of the numbers of atoms in a sample of the compound, it shows only the ratios of the numbers of the elements present. The difference between empirical and molecular formulas can be illustrated with butane, a covalent compound used as the fuel in disposable lighters. The molecular formula for butane is C4H10. The ratio of carbon atoms to hydrogen atoms in butane is 4:10, which can be reduced to 2:5. The empirical formula for butane is therefore C2H5. The formula unit is the absolute grouping of atoms or ions represented by the empirical formula of a compound, either ionic or covalent. Butane has the empirical formula C2H5, but it contains two C2H5 formula units, giving a molecular formula of C4H10.
Because ionic compounds do not contain discrete molecules, empirical formulas are used to indicate their compositions. All compounds, whether ionic or covalent, must be electrically neutral. Consequently, the positive and negative charges in a formula unit must exactly cancel each other. If the cation and the anion have charges of equal magnitude, such as Na+ and Cl−, then the compound must have a 1:1 ratio of cations to anions, and the empirical formula must be NaCl. If the charges are not the same magnitude, then a cation:anion ratio other than 1:1 is needed to produce a neutral compound. In the case of Mg2+ and Cl−, for example, two Cl− ions are needed to balance the two positive charges on each Mg2+ ion, giving an empirical formula of MgCl2. Similarly, the formula for the ionic compound that contains Na+ and O2− ions is Na2O.
Note
Ionic compounds do not contain discrete molecules, so empirical formulas are used to indicate their compositions.
Binary Ionic Compounds
An ionic compound that contains only two elements, one present as a cation and one as an anion, is called a binary ionic compound. One example is MgCl2, a coagulant used in the preparation of tofu from soybeans. For binary ionic compounds, the subscripts in the empirical formula can also be obtained by crossing charges: use the absolute value of the charge on one ion as the subscript for the other ion. This method is shown schematically as follows:
Crossing charges. One method for obtaining subscripts in the empirical formula is by crossing charges.
When crossing charges, it is sometimes necessary to reduce the subscripts to their simplest ratio to write the empirical formula. Consider, for example, the compound formed by Mg2+ and O2−. Using the absolute values of the charges on the ions as subscripts gives the formula Mg2O2:
This simplifies to its correct empirical formula MgO. The empirical formula has one Mg2+ ion and one O2− ion.
Example \(\PageIndex{4}\)
Write the empirical formula for the simplest binary ionic compound formed from each ion or element pair.
Ga3+ and As3−
Eu3+ and O2−
calcium and chlorine
Given: ions or elements
Asked for: empirical formula for binary ionic compound
Strategy:
A If not given, determine the ionic charges based on the location of the elements in the periodic table.
B Use the absolute value of the charge on each ion as the subscript for the other ion. Reduce the subscripts to the lowest numbers
to write the empirical formula. Check to make sure the empirical formula is electrically neutral.
Solution
a. B Using the absolute values of the charges on the ions as the subscripts gives Ga3As3:
Reducing the subscripts to the smallest whole numbers gives the empirical formula GaAs, which is electrically neutral [+3 + (−3) = 0]. Alternatively, we could recognize that Ga3+ and As3− have charges of equal magnitude but opposite signs. One Ga3+ ion balances the charge on one As3− ion, and a 1:1 compound will have no net charge. Because we write subscripts only if the number is greater than 1, the empirical formula is GaAs. GaAs is gallium arsenide, which is widely used in the electronics industry in transistors and other devices.
b. B Because Eu3+ has a charge of +3 and O2− has a charge of −2, a 1:1 compound would have a net charge of +1. We must therefore find multiples of the charges that cancel. We cross charges, using the absolute value of the charge on one ion as the subscript for the other ion:
The subscript for Eu3+ is 2 (from O2−), and the subscript for O2− is 3 (from Eu3+), giving Eu2O3; the subscripts cannot be reduced further. The empirical formula contains a positive charge of 2(+3) = +6 and a negative charge of 3(−2) = −6, for a net charge of 0. The compound Eu2O3 is neutral. Europium oxide is responsible for the red color in television and computer screens.
c. A Because the charges on the ions are not given, we must first determine the charges expected for the most common ions derived from calcium and chlorine. Calcium lies in group 2, so it should lose two electrons to form Ca2+. Chlorine lies in group 17, so it should gain one electron to form Cl−.
B Two Cl− ions are needed to balance the charge on one Ca2+ ion, which leads to the empirical formula CaCl2. We could also cross charges, using the absolute value of the charge on Ca2+ as the subscript for Cl and the absolute value of the charge on Cl− as the subscript for Ca:
The subscripts in CaCl2 cannot be reduced further. The empirical formula is electrically neutral [+2 + 2(−1) = 0]. This compound is calcium chloride, one of the substances used as “salt” to melt ice on roads and sidewalks in winter.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)
Write the empirical formula for the simplest binary ionic compound formed from each ion or element pair.
Li+ and N3−
Al3+ and O2−
lithium and oxygen
Answer:
Li3N
Al2O3
Li2O
Polyatomic Ions
Polyatomic ions are groups of atoms that bear net electrical charges, although the atoms in a polyatomic ion are held together by the same covalent bonds that hold atoms together in molecules. Just as there are many more kinds of molecules than simple elements, there are many more kinds of polyatomic ions than monatomic ions. Two examples of polyatomic cations are the ammonium (NH4+) and the methylammonium (CH3NH3+) ions. Polyatomic anions are much more numerous than polyatomic cations; some common examples are in Table \(\PageIndex{4}\).
Table \(\PageIndex{4}\): Common Polyatomic Ions and Their Names
Formula
Name of Ion
NH4+
ammonium
CH3NH3+
methylammonium
OH−
hydroxide
O22−
peroxide
CN−
cyanide
SCN−
thiocyanate
NO2−
nitrite
NO3−
nitrate
CO32−
carbonate
HCO3−
hydrogen carbonate, or bicarbonate
SO32−
sulfite
SO42−
sulfate
HSO4−
hydrogen sulfate, or bisulfate
PO43−
phosphate
HPO42−
hydrogen phosphate
H2PO4−
dihydrogen phosphate
ClO−
hypochlorite
ClO2−
chlorite
ClO3−
chlorate
ClO4−
perchlorate
MnO4−
permanganate
CrO42−
chromate
Cr2O72−
dichromate
C2O42−
oxalate
HCO2−
formate
CH3CO2−
acetate
C6H5CO2−
benzoate
The method used to predict the empirical formulas for ionic compounds that contain monatomic ions can also be used for compounds that contain polyatomic ions. The overall charge on the cations must balance the overall charge on the anions in the formula unit. Thus, K+ and NO3− ions combine in a 1:1 ratio to form KNO3 (potassium nitrate or saltpeter), a major ingredient in black gunpowder. Similarly, Ca2+ and SO42− form CaSO4 (calcium sulfate), which combines with varying amounts of water to form gypsum and plaster of Paris. The polyatomic ions NH4+ and NO3− form NH4NO3 (ammonium nitrate), a widely used fertilizer and, in the wrong hands, an explosive. One example of a compound in which the ions have charges of different magnitudes is calcium phosphate, which is composed of Ca2+ and PO43− ions; it is a major component of bones. The compound is electrically neutral because the ions combine in a ratio of three Ca2+ ions [3(+2) = +6] for every two ions [2(−3) = −6], giving an empirical formula of Ca3(PO4)2; the parentheses around PO4 in the empirical formula indicate that it is a polyatomic ion. Writing the formula for calcium phosphate as Ca3P2O8 gives the correct number of each atom in the formula unit, but it obscures the fact that the compound contains readily identifiable PO43− ions.
Example \(\PageIndex{5}\)
Write the empirical formula for the compound formed from each ion pair.
Na+ and HPO42−
potassium cation and cyanide anion
calcium cation and hypochlorite anion
Given: ions
Asked for: empirical formula for ionic compound
Strategy:
A If it is not given, determine the charge on a monatomic ion from its location in the periodic table. Use Table \(\PageIndex{4}\) "Common Polyatomic Ions and Their Names" to find the charge on a polyatomic ion.
B Use the absolute value of the charge on each ion as the subscript for the other ion. Reduce the subscripts to the smallest whole numbers when writing the empirical formula.
Solution:
a. B Because HPO42− has a charge of −2 and Na+ has a charge of +1, the empirical formula requires two Na+ ions to balance the charge of the polyatomic ion, giving Na2HPO4. The subscripts are reduced to the lowest numbers, so the empirical formula is Na2HPO4. This compound is sodium hydrogen phosphate, which is used to provide texture in processed cheese, puddings, and instant breakfasts.
b. A The potassium cation is K+, and the cyanide anion is CN−. B Because the magnitude of the charge on each ion is the same, the empirical formula is KCN. Potassium cyanide is highly toxic, and at one time it was used as rat poison. This use has been discontinued, however, because too many people were being poisoned accidentally.
c. A The calcium cation is Ca2+, and the hypochlorite anion is ClO−. B Two ClO− ions are needed to balance the charge on one Ca2+ ion, giving Ca(ClO)2. The subscripts cannot be reduced further, so the empirical formula is Ca(ClO)2. This is calcium hypochlorite, the “chlorine” used to purify water in swimming pools.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{5}\)
Write the empirical formula for the compound formed from each ion pair.
Ca2+ and H2PO4−
sodium cation and bicarbonate anion
ammonium cation and sulfate anion
Answer:
Ca(H2PO4)2: calcium dihydrogen phosphate is one of the ingredients in baking powder.
NaHCO3: sodium bicarbonate is found in antacids and baking powder; in pure form, it is sold as baking soda.
(NH4)2SO4: ammonium sulfate is a common source of nitrogen in fertilizers.
Summary
There are two fundamentally different kinds of chemical bonds (covalent and ionic) that cause substances to have very different properties.
The composition of a compound is represented by an empirical or molecular formula, each consisting of at least one formula unit.Contributors
The atoms in chemical compounds are held together by attractive electrostatic interactions known as chemical bonds. Ionic compounds contain positively and negatively charged ions in a ratio that results in an overall charge of zero. The ions are held together in a regular spatial arrangement by electrostatic forces. Most covalent compounds consist of molecules, groups of atoms in which one or more pairs of electrons are shared by at least two atoms to form a covalent bond. The atoms in molecules are held together by the electrostatic attraction between the positively charged nuclei of the bonded atoms and the negatively charged electrons shared by the nuclei. The molecular formula of a covalent compound gives the types and numbers of atoms present. Compounds that contain predominantly carbon and hydrogen are called organic compounds, whereas compounds that consist primarily of elements other than carbon and hydrogen are inorganic compounds. Diatomic molecules contain two atoms, and polyatomic molecules contain more than two. A structural formula indicates the composition and approximate structure and shape of a molecule. Single bonds, double bonds, and triple bonds are covalent bonds in which one, two, and three pairs of electrons, respectively, are shared between two bonded atoms. Atoms or groups of atoms that possess a net electrical charge are called ions; they can have either a positive charge (cations) or a negative charge (anions). Ions can consist of one atom (monatomic ions) or several (polyatomic ions). The charges on monatomic ions of most main group elements can be predicted from the location of the element in the periodic table. Ionic compounds usually form hard crystalline solids with high melting points. Covalent molecular compounds, in contrast, consist of discrete molecules held together by weak intermolecular forces and can be gases, liquids, or solids at room temperature and pressure.
An empirical formula gives the relative numbers of atoms of the elements in a compound, reduced to the lowest whole numbers. The formula unit is the absolute grouping represented by the empirical formula of a compound, either ionic or covalent. Empirical formulas are particularly useful for describing the composition of ionic compounds, which do not contain readily identifiable molecules. Some ionic compounds occur as hydrates, which contain specific ratios of loosely bound water molecules called waters of hydration.
3.1: Types of Chemical Compounds and their Formulas is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.
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3: Chemical Compounds
3.2: The Mole Concept and Chemical Compounds
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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see chemical compound.
methane moleculeMethane, in which four hydrogen atoms are bound to a single carbon atom, is an example of a basic chemical compound. The structures of chemical compounds are influenced by complex factors, such as bond angles and bond length.(more)chemical compound, Any substance composed of identical molecules consisting of atoms of two or more elements. Millions are known, each unique, with unique properties. Most common materials are mixtures of compounds. Pure compounds can be obtained by physical separation methods, such as precipitation and distillation. Compounds can be broken down into their constituents to various degrees or changed into new compounds by chemical reactions. Atoms always combine into molecules in fixed proportions, distinguishing compounds from solutions and other mechanical mixtures. Compounds are often classified as inorganic or organic compounds; coordination complexes, which contain metal atoms (usually transition elements) bonded to ligands that may be organic, are somewhat in between. Compounds may also be classified by whether they have ionic or covalent bonds (many include both types).
asparagine Summary
Asparagine, an amino acid closely related to aspartic acid, and an important component of proteins. First isolated in 1932 from asparagus, from which its name is derived, asparagine is widely distributed in plant proteins. It is one of several so-called nonessential amino acids in warm-blooded
arginine Summary
Arginine, an amino acid obtainable by hydrolysis of many common proteins but particularly abundant in protamines and histones, proteins associated with nucleic acids. First isolated from animal horn (1895), arginine plays an important role in mammals in the synthesis of urea, the principal form in
RNA Summary
RNA, complex compound of high molecular weight that functions in cellular protein synthesis and replaces DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) as a carrier of genetic codes in some viruses. RNA consists of ribose nucleotides (nitrogenous bases appended to a ribose sugar) attached by phosphodiester bonds,
acetylcholine Summary
Acetylcholine, an ester of choline and acetic acid that serves as a transmitter substance of nerve impulses within the central and peripheral nervous systems. Acetylcholine is the chief neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the autonomic nervous system (a branch of the