CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS Meaning and
Definition
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Chemical compounds refer to substances that are made up of two or more elements chemically bonded together. These elements can be of the same type or different types. The bonds between these elements are formed through various types of chemical reactions, such as ionic, covalent, or metallic bonding.
Chemical compounds have distinct chemical properties that differ from the properties of the individual elements they are composed of. These properties can include physical characteristics like color, melting point, boiling point, and solubility, as well as chemical reactivity and toxicity. Some examples of chemical compounds include water (H2O), salt (NaCl), carbon dioxide (CO2), and glucose (C6H12O6).
The formation of chemical compounds often involves the rearrangement of atoms from the reactant elements, leading to the creation of new substances with different properties. Chemical compounds can be classified into various categories based on their composition and properties, such as organic compounds (containing carbon atoms) and inorganic compounds (lacking carbon atoms).
Chemical compounds play a crucial role in various fields of science and technology. They are used in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, materials science, and many more industries. The identification and characterization of chemical compounds are vital for understanding their behavior, reactivity, and potential applications. Techniques such as spectroscopy, x-ray crystallography, and mass spectrometry are commonly employed to determine the composition and structure of chemical compounds.
Etymology of CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS
The word "chemical" originates from the Arabic word "al-kīmiyā" or the Greek word "khēmeia", which refers to the study and practice of alchemy. Alchemy was an ancient philosophical and protoscientific discipline that sought to transform and combine substances, with the goal of creating elixirs and achieving the transmutation of metals, among other ambitions.
The term "compound" has a Latin origin, derived from the word "componere", which means "to put together" or "to assemble". Therefore, the word "compound" denotes the idea of combining multiple elements or substances to create a new entity.
Together, "chemical compounds" refer to substances composed of two or more different chemical elements that are chemically bonded together. The term signifies the study and understanding of these compositions and their properties, processes, and interactions.
