| − | <ref>A compound is a substance with a fixed ratio of elements which determines the composition, and a particular organization which determines chemical properties. [http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Chemical#Compounds New World Encyclopedia] </ref> | + | <ref>A compound is a substance with a fixed ratio of elements which determines the composition, and a particular organization which determines chemical properties. [http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Chemical#Compounds New World Encyclopedia] </ref> Table salt, for example, is sodium chloride (NaCl), a compound composed of the elements sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) in a 1:1 ratio. Pure sodiun is a metal, and pure chlorine is a poisonous gas. When chemically combined, however, sodium and chlorine form an edible compound. This is a simple example of organized [[matter]] having emergent properties: A compound has characteristics different from those of its elements.[Reece, Jane B., and Neil A. Campbell. Campbell Biology / Jane B. Reece ... [et Al.].]</ref> |
| | Chemical compounds can be fairly simple, such as water (H<sub>2</sub>O), which is just one [[oxygen]] atom and two [[hydrogen]] atoms. Many are moderately complex, like sugars, which consist of no more than a few dozen [[carbon]], oxygen, and hydrogen atoms, e.g. C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>12</sub>O<sub>6</sub>. Some are relatively huge (still not visible to the naked eye), such as DNA, which can contain millions of atoms in one double helix crystal. | | Chemical compounds can be fairly simple, such as water (H<sub>2</sub>O), which is just one [[oxygen]] atom and two [[hydrogen]] atoms. Many are moderately complex, like sugars, which consist of no more than a few dozen [[carbon]], oxygen, and hydrogen atoms, e.g. C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>12</sub>O<sub>6</sub>. Some are relatively huge (still not visible to the naked eye), such as DNA, which can contain millions of atoms in one double helix crystal. |