Unit 5: Molecules

Lesson 5.1
Differentiating Atoms, Molecules, and Ions
Contents
Introduction 1

Learning Objectives 2

Warm Up 2

Learn about It! 3

Atoms and Molecules 3
Composition 3
Ions and Ionic Compounds 6
Ions 6
Ionic Compounds 9

Key Points 10

Check Your Understanding 10

Challenge Yourself 12

Bibliography 13
Unit 5: Molecules

Lesson 5.1

Differentiating Atoms, Molecules,

and Ions

Introduction
One of the most common questions in chemistry is the difference between an atom and a
molecule. To be able to understand this simple question, take a look at lego pieces. Lego
pieces come in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes. These pieces are stacked up to one
another to create larger and more complex structures. These larger and more complex
structures can be made up of different colors, sizes, and shapes of the lego pieces.

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Unit 5: Molecules

Atoms can be thought of as the small lego pieces made up of different colors, shapes, and
sizes. On the other hand, the larger and more complex structures can be likened to a
molecule. From the previous lessons, you learned that each atom possesses a unique
property that is not shared with any other atoms. When atoms combine and form larger
structures, they now become molecules. In this lesson, you will differentiate atoms and
molecules. Also, you will learn the ions and how they are formed.

Learning Objectives DepEd Competency

In this lesson, you should be able to do the Differentiate among atoms,

molecules, ions, and give examples.
following:
(STEM_GC11AM-Ic-e-20).
● Distinguish between an atom, a
molecule, and an ion.
● Provide examples of atoms,
molecules, and ions.

Warm Up
Build Me Up! 15 minutes
You will be receiving a brown envelope with Lego bricks inside. How will you represent
substances using these Lego bricks?

Materials
● Lego bricks
● brown envelopes

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Unit 5: Molecules

Procedure
1. You will be given a brown envelope with varying amounts of Lego bricks in it.
2. Stack up the Lego bricks in the desired form.
3. Submit the stacked up Lego bricks to your teacher to be discussed in the class.

Observation Table
Table 5.1.1. Observations on the different Lego brick models

Group Number Observations

Guide Questions
1. Which group has the simplest model?
2. Which group has the most complex model?
3. What can you deduce from the relationship of the number of bricks to the
complexity of the model made?

Learn about It!

Atoms and Molecules

How do we differentiate atoms and molecules in

terms of their composition?

Composition
The atom is the basic building block of all matter. It is the smallest piece of unit that
maintains a unique identity and property. Atoms are made up of subatomic particles,
namely, the protons, the neutrons, and the electrons. Fig. 5.1.1 shows a carbon atom with

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Unit 5: Molecules

its subatomic particles.

Fig. 5.1.1. A carbon atom showing its protons (red), neutrons (blue) and the electrons (black)

Carbon is an element. An element is the simplest type of matter. The carbon atom contains
six protons, six electrons, and six neutrons. All atoms in an element will always have the
same number of protons. Carbon atoms will have 6 protons; all atoms of oxygen will have
8 protons in its nucleus. Each element will have its own characteristic number of protons.
This is called the atomic number, the number of protons present in an atom.

Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons in their nucleus. Atoms
with the same number of protons (same element) but with different numbers of neutrons
are called isotopes. For example, a majority of the available hydrogen in nature has one
proton in its nucleus. A very small portion of hydrogen atoms has a proton and a neutron
present in their nuclei. This is called deuterium. A very unusual form of hydrogen that
contains one proton and two neutrons is called tritium.

When the number of protons and electrons in an atom is the same, then the atom is said to
be a neutral atom (having a zero charge). However, we shall see later that this will not
always hold true.

Molecules, on the other hand, are made from the combination of two or more atoms
connected together by a strong force of interaction, making them behave as a single

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Unit 5: Molecules

particle. A molecule is the smallest part of a substance that retains the physical and
chemical properties of the substance.

There are elements that exist naturally, not as atoms but as molecules. Examples are
hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen and oxygen exist as a two-atom molecule or a diatomic
molecule. Other elements that exist as molecules are N2, F2, sulfur (existing as an eight -
atom molecule - S8), and phosphorus (a four - atom molecule - P4).

Many compounds exist as molecules. These compounds are made from the combination of
two or more atoms. For example, carbon dioxide is always made up of one carbon atom
and two oxygen atoms. Its chemical formula is CO2. Another example is table salt (also
known as sodium chloride). Sodium chloride is always made up of one sodium atom and
one chlorine atom chemically bonded to one another. Its chemical formula is NaCl.
Compounds are always made up of only one type of molecule, no matter how complex the
molecule is. Sucrose, commonly known as table sugar, is always made up of carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that are all bonded together to form one molecule of
C12H22O11.

carbon dioxide (CO2) from table sugar (C12H22O11)

table salt (NaCl)
gas emissions

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Unit 5: Molecules

Remember
A molecule is made up of atoms of different elements that are
chemically bonded together. It represents the smallest unit of a
compound.

Is oxygen gas (O2) an atom or a molecule? Why?

Ions and Ionic Compounds

How are ions formed?

Ions
So far, you have learned that substances, both elements, and compounds, are electrically
neutral. They contain the same number of electrons and protons, balancing out the positive
and negative charges. This will not always hold true!

Electrons can move from one atom to the other. When this happens, the overall number of
protons and electrons changes, therefore a species with an overall electrical charge is
formed. These species are called ions. When an atom gains electrons, the number of
electrons is greater than the number of protons, therefore forming a negatively charged
species called an anion. On the other hand, when an atom loses an electron, the number of
protons will be greater than the number of electrons, thus forming a positively charged
species called a cation. Ions are formed when electrons are being moved from one species
to another; a proton never comes out of an atom.

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Unit 5: Molecules

Remember
Ions, charged species, are formed from the movement of electrons
from one atom to another. The number of protons in the atom is
unchanged.

Atoms can either gain or lose electrons. When they do, they form monoatomic ions. When
an atom loses or gains an electron, they gain or lose electrons that are characteristic of that
particular atom. Metals typically lose an electron to form cations, and nonmetals usually
gain electrons to form anions. This is one of the many properties of metals and nonmetals -
the ability to lose or gain electrons. When a sodium atom loses an electron to form an ion, it
will always have a +1 charge. A calcium atom loses two electrons to form a cation with a +2
charge.

Na atom → Na+ ion + e-

Ca atom → Ca2+ ion + 2e-

There are metals that can have more than one charge creating several cations. For example,
a copper atom can have a +1 and +2 charge. Iron is another element that can form more
than one possible charge (+2 and +3), while lead can form +2 and +4 cations. These ions are
called multivalent ions.

Nonmetals form cations by gaining electrons. Consider, for example, what happens when
atoms of chlorine and oxygen acquire electrons.

Cl atom + e- → Cl- ion

O atom + 2e- → O2- ion

Notice that when an ion is formed, the number of protons in the nucleus remains
unchanged. It is the number of electrons that increases or decreases.

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Unit 5: Molecules

Did You Know?

Ruby is a gemstone that contains trace

amounts of chromium ions (Cr3+), which
gives it the distinct pink to blood-red color.
The qualities of rubies are assessed by the
relative amounts of chromium present in
the gem.

The ions we have dealt so far are monoatomic ions (e.g., Na+, Cl-). They are derived from a
single atom losing or gaining an electron. There are also those ions that contain more than
one type of atom called polyatomic ions. Examples of polyatomic ions include the
ammonium cation (NH4+) and hydroxide anion (OH-). In these polyatomic ions, the atoms are
held together by strong covalent bonds, as shown in Fig. 5.1.2..

Fig. 5.1.2. The structures of ammonium cation (left) and the hydroxide anion (right)

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Unit 5: Molecules

Ionic Compounds

How are ionic compounds formed?

In the real world, matter is electrically neutral. Ionic compounds are made from the
combination of cations and anions. An example of an ionic compound is sodium chloride. It
is made up of an equal amount of Na+ cations and Cl- anions. The structure of sodium
chloride is given in Fig. 5.1.3.

Ionic compounds, like NaCl, are held together by strong electrical forces between the
oppositely charged ions (Na+ and Cl-). Because of the strong attraction of the opposite
charges, ionic compounds are solid at room temperature. In melting an ionic compound,
high temperatures are required to break the charged attraction of the ions in the
compound.

Fig. 5.1.3. The structure of sodium chloride. The green spheres represent the Cl- ions, and
the blue spheres represent the Na+ cations. Note that there are equal numbers of Na+ and
Cl- ions.

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Unit 5: Molecules

When an ionic compound such as NaCl dissolves in water, the solution formed contains the
Na+ and Cl- ions. Since ions are charged particles, the solution conducts electric current. We
call these types of compounds as strong electrolytes. On the contrary, table sugar, a
molecular solid that is soluble in water, does not conduct electricity. Table sugar and other
molecular solids are nonelectrolytes.

Key Points
___________________________________________________________________________________________

● Atoms tend to combine with one another to form more complex structural units
called molecules.
● Ions are charged species formed from the gain and/or loss of an electron/s of a
neutral atom.
● Cations are positively charged ions, and anions are negatively charged ions.
● When ions are formed, only the number of electrons is changed, the number of
protons still remains the same for any atom.
___________________________________________________________________________________________

Check Your Understanding

A. Classify the given example of matter whether it is an atom, molecule,

or an ion.
\

___________________________ 1. oxygen gas

___________________________ 2. carbon dioxide

___________________________ 3. gold

___________________________ 4. chloride ion

___________________________ 5. table salt

___________________________ 6. lead

___________________________ 7. ammonia

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Unit 5: Molecules

___________________________ 8. copper

___________________________ 9. Cu2+

__________________________ 10. silver

B. Match each sentence, phrase, or word with the correct term on

the second column.

_______ 1. basic building block of matter A. ionic compound

_______ 2. charged particles B. anion

_______ 3. building block of compounds C. atom

_______ 4. Ca2+ D. molecule

_______ 5. Br-. E. ions

F. cation

C. Classify the following illustrations whether they are atoms,

compounds, molecules, or ions.

_______ 1.

_______ 2.

_______ 3.

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Unit 5: Molecules

_______ 4.

_______ 5.

Challenge Yourself

Answer the following.

1. Consider the magnesium ion, 12Mg2+.

a. How many electrons will this ion have?
b. How many protons will this ion have?
2. Hydrogen-1 can take the form of an anion (H-) or a cation (H+).
a. How many protons and electrons will each of the species have?
b. Give a formula of a compound formed between hydrogen and a Group VII
element.
3. Explain why dissolving table salt in water will create a solution that conducts
electricity, while dissolving table sugar will not.

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Unit 5: Molecules

Bibliography

Brown, Theodore L. 2004. Chemistry: The Central Science (11th ed). Singapore: Pearson
Education (Asia) Pte Ltd. Print.

Hawe, Alan, Dan Davies, Kendra McMahon, Lee Towler, Chris Collier, and Tonie Scott.
Science 5–11: A Guide for Teachers. 2nd ed. New York, NY: David Fulton Publishers,
2009.

Petrucci, Ralph H. General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications. Toronto, Ont.:
Pearson Canada, 2011. Print.

Silberberg, Martin S. 2009. Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change (5th ed).
New York: McGraw-Hill.

Whitten, Kenneth W. Chemistry (10th ed). Boston: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.

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