Table of Contents
What are Polyatomic Molecules?
Polyatomic molecules are molecules composed of two or more atoms. These atoms are typically held together by covalent bonds. Polyatomic molecules can be either ionic or covalent. Covalent polyatomic molecules are held together by shared electrons, while ionic polyatomic molecules are held together by shared ions. Some common polyatomic molecules include water, carbon dioxide, and ammonia.
Polyatomic Molecules Examples
In chemistry, a polyatomic molecule is a molecule composed of two or more atoms that are covalently bonded together. Polyatomic molecules are distinguished from molecules composed of a single atom by their greater complexity. Polyatomic molecules are often the subject of chemistry textbooks.
Examples of polyatomic molecules include water, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. In water, the hydrogen atoms are covalently bonded to the oxygen atom. In ammonia, the nitrogen atom is covalently bonded to three hydrogen atoms. In carbon dioxide, the carbon atom is covalently bonded to two oxygen atoms.
Types of Polyatomic Molecule
Polyatomic molecules are molecules composed of two or more atoms. There are four types of polyatomic molecules:
1) Molecular compounds- These compounds are composed of atoms that are held together by covalent bonds.
2) Ionic compounds- These compounds are composed of atoms that are held together by ionic bonds.
3) Covalent networks- These compounds are composed of atoms that are held together by covalent bonds in a network structure.
4) Metallic compounds- These compounds are composed of atoms that are held together by metallic bonds.
Molecular Orbital of Polyatomic Molecules
Molecular orbitals of polyatomic molecules are formed by the overlap of atomic orbitals on different atoms. The number of molecular orbitals formed depends on the number of atomic orbitals that overlap. For example, the oxygen molecule has two atomic orbitals that can overlap, so it forms two molecular orbitals. The carbon dioxide molecule has four atomic orbitals that can overlap, so it forms four molecular orbitals.
Electronic Configurations of Atoms
An atom is the smallest particle of an element that has the chemical properties of that element. The electronic configurations of atoms are determined by the number of protons in the nucleus.
The first element, hydrogen, has one proton in the nucleus and therefore has an electronic configuration of 1s1. The second element, helium, has two protons in the nucleus and therefore has an electronic configuration of 1s2.
The pattern continues as the number of protons in the nucleus increases. The next element, lithium, has three protons in the nucleus and therefore has an electronic configuration of 1s2 2s1. The next element, beryllium, has four protons in the nucleus and therefore has an electronic configuration of 1s2 2s2.
The electronic configurations of atoms continue in this pattern until the element with 92 protons in the nucleus, uranium. The electronic configuration of uranium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p6 6s2 4f14 5d10 6p6.
The electronic configurations of atoms can be represented by the letters s, p, d, and f. The s-electrons are in the 1s-orbital, the p-electrons are in the 2s and 2p-orbitals, the d-electrons are in the 3s,
Polyatomic Charged Molecules
One atom of an element can combine with other atoms of the same or different elements to form molecules. A molecule is the smallest particle of an element or compound that has the chemical properties of that element or compound.
Some elements exist as molecules consisting of only one atom. These are called monatomic elements. Noble gases, such as helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon, are all monatomic.
Most elements, however, exist as molecules consisting of two or more atoms. These are called polyatomic elements. The most common polyatomic elements are the oxygen family: oxygen, ozone, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water.
When atoms of different elements combine to form a molecule, the atoms may share one or more electrons to form covalent bonds. Covalent bonds are strong and hold the atoms in the molecule together.
When atoms of the same element combine to form a molecule, they may share electrons to form ionic bonds. Ionic bonds are also strong, but they are not as strong as covalent bonds. Ionic bonds occur when the atoms have a different number of protons in their nuclei.
Polyatomic Molecules Properties
There are a variety of properties that pertain to polyatomic molecules. Some of these include polarity, dipole moment, and resonance.
Molecular Chemistry
The branch of chemistry that deals with the structure and properties of molecules.
