how many atoms make up a single molecule?

Question

does it vary depending upon the type of atom or molecule?
(im very new at physics so if i come across as ignorant, its because i am)
thank you

Answer 1

Yes, it depends on the molecule. The chemical formula describes how many, and what kind of atoms make up the molecule.



These are normally written with subscript numbers but it's hard to type those.



O2 - normal oxygen - two atoms of oxygen

H2O - water - two atoms of hydrogen, one atom of oxygen, 3 total

C6H12O6 - glucose - six atoms of carbon, twelve atoms of hydrogen, six atoms of oxygen, 24 total



A molecule always has at least two atoms, otherwise it's not called a molecule, just an atom. A strand of DNA is a single large molecule and contains millions of atoms.

Answer 2

Fe2O3 is a compound made out of Fe (iron) and O (oxygen). The form after the atom's call tells you the way situations that atom shows up interior the compound. subsequently, Fe2O3 tells you that there are 2 Fe and 3 O atoms interior the molecule. So, 2+3 = 5.

Answer 3

A hydrogen molecule has one atom. A DNA molecule has a few more than that. About 204 billion to be exact. (Human DNA.)

Answer 4

Maybe, but I'm not 100% certain

Answer 5

It depend