What term describes a group of atoms bonded together?

What term describes a group of atoms bonded together?

• A. Solvent
• B. Ion
• C. Molecule
• D. Element

Answer: (C)

The main idea is how chemists name the basic unit formed when atoms are joined by bonds. A molecule is exactly that—a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds, acting as a single unit with its own properties. For example, water is a molecule because it is made of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom. Other terms describe different concepts. A solvent isn’t about bonding; it’s the substance in which something dissolves. An ion is a charged particle, which can be an atom or a group of atoms, but the focus here is the presence of a bond forming a discrete unit, which is what a molecule represents. An element describes what the atoms are, not how they are connected into a unit.

The main idea is how chemists name the basic unit formed when atoms are joined by bonds. A molecule is exactly that—a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds, acting as a single unit with its own properties. For example, water is a molecule because it is made of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom.

Other terms describe different concepts. A solvent isn’t about bonding; it’s the substance in which something dissolves. An ion is a charged particle, which can be an atom or a group of atoms, but the focus here is the presence of a bond forming a discrete unit, which is what a molecule represents. An element describes what the atoms are, not how they are connected into a unit.