We explain what a compound is and some examples of this term. In addition, the meaning of the compound is in various areas.
What is a compound?
In chemistry, a compound is a substance made up of two or more elements from the periodic table. The word combination comes from the Latin composĭtus. We can talk about something being “composed of” to indicate what things make up something.
Chemical compounds have a chemical formula. A chemical compound comprises molecules or ions that are stably linked. The chemical elements that make up a chemical compound cannot be separated with any physical treatment or process but only with some chemical method.
A chemical compound should not be confused with a mixture (a material made up of two or more components that are not chemically combined) or an alloy (a combination of two or more parts where at least one is a metal). Parts of a mixture or alloy can be separated using physical separation methods such as filtration, distillation, decantation, and evaporation.
Chemical compounds are classified into organic and inorganic:
Inorganic compounds. Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with studying the properties and reactions of inorganic compounds, which can be classified into:
- Acid oxides. They are non-metal oxides. They are made up of non-metal and oxygen. For example, Dichloro trioxide (Cl2O3) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
- Basic oxides. They are metal oxides. They are composed of metal and oxygen, for example, calcium oxide (CaO) and iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3).
- Hydrides. They are made up of a chemical element and hydrogen. They can be metallic or non-metallic, for example, Calcium hydride (CaH2) and hydrogen fluoride (HF(g)).
- Hydracids. They are non-metallic hydrides that, when dissolved in water, become acids, for example, hydrofluoric acid (HF(aq)) and hydrochloric acid (HCl(aq)).
- Hydroxides. They are produced by the reaction of a basic oxide and water, for example, sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and magnesium (II) hydroxide (Mg(OH)2).
- Oxacids. An acid oxide produces them, and water reaction, for example, Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and perchloric acid (HClO4).
Binary salts. They are produced by the reaction between a hydracid and a hydroxide. For example: sodium chloride (NaCl) and iron (III) chloride (FeCl3). - Oxysals. They are produced by the reaction between an oxyacid and a hydroxide. For example, iron (II) sulfate (FeSO4) and iron (III) sulfate (Fe2(SO4)3).
Organic compounds. Organic chemistry is the field of chemistry responsible for studying the properties and reactions of organic compounds, which can be classified into:
Aliphatic compounds. They are made up of carbon and hydrogen. They are not aromatic. For example:
Compound aromatic compounds. They are stable cyclic organic compounds with single and multiple (double or triple) alternating bonds in their structure. They are conjugated compounds, so named because of their design. For example:
Compound heterocyclic compounds. They are cyclic organic compounds with at least one ring atom other than carbon. For example:
Compound Organometallic compounds. They are organic compounds in which carbon atoms form covalent bonds with metal atoms. For example:
Compound polymers. They are macromolecules formed by the union of smaller molecules called monomers, for example, DNA.
Compounds in other areas
Grammar. Compound words are those that are made up of simple terms. For example, remote control.
Botany. Hybrid plants have simple leaves and flowers grouped in a standard receptacle.
Economy. Compound interest is the money, benefit, or utility of initial capital at an interest rate during a specific period in which the interest is reinvested.
