The Help Zone is under renovation.

See if your question has already been asked!

Secondaire 2 • September 25, 2021

How do you know if a particle is an atom or a molecule?I'm not sure I understand...

Explanation (1)

Student Explanation

September 25, 2021

Thank you for your question! Atoms are distinguished from molecules by the following criteria: • The atom is the smallest division of matter, whereas molecules are made up of several atoms. • The chemical formulas of atoms can be found in the periodic table. The chemical formulas of molecules cannot be found in the periodic table. • Since an atom is made up of a single element, there is only one capital letter in its chemical formula. Since a molecule is made up of a single element, there may be more than one capital letter in its chemical formula. Many molecules have more than one capital letter in their chemical formula. Don’t hesitate to ask other questions!