What are Compounds?

A compound is a pure material made up of two or more elements combined chemically in a set mass proportion. The creation of a compound is always the outcome of a chemical reaction. 

As a result, a compound lacks the characteristics of its individual parts. The smallest item produced after breaking down the chemical is referred to as a molecule of the substance. The chemical formula represents one molecule of a substance. The formula of a compound is a declaration of the compound’s composition, in which the symbols indicate the elements present and the subscripts represent the number of atoms in each element.

When two or more elements react chemically and combine in a fixed ratio the product formed is said to be a compound. Compounds are represented using a chemical formula that describes the ratio in which the elements have combined to form a compound. Compounds can be molecular compounds or salts.

Properties of Compounds

• When a compound is formed, the elements lose some of their properties and the compound has new properties other than those of its constituent elements.
• Elements combine chemically to form a compound.
• There is a change of energy during compound formation.
• The compounds may possess different melting and boiling points as compared to their constituent elements.
• Compounds cannot be separated physically but require special chemical techniques to separate the elements.

Some examples of compounds, that one may find in our daily lives are Water (H₂O), Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), Methane (CH₄), Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆), Copper sulfate (CuSO₄), etc.

The matter is divided into three main types Compounds, Mixtures, and Elements. Pure substances are compounds. Impure substances are Mixtures. The key difference between compounds and mixtures is that a compound is made up of molecules, each of which is composed of two or more different types of chemically bound atoms. While the mixture is a combination of two or more elements or compounds that are combined physically rather than chemically. Let’s learn more about the differences between compounds and mixtures in this article!