Compound Chemistry Example 2
Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.
Example 2
mediumWater () is a compound that can be decomposed by electrolysis. Write the equation for this decomposition and explain why the products have different properties from water.
Solution
- 1 Electrolysis of water: .
- 2 Water is a liquid at room temperature, while both hydrogen and oxygen are gases. Water extinguishes fires, while hydrogen is flammable and oxygen supports combustion.
- 3 These dramatic differences in properties show that a compound's properties are entirely different from those of its constituent elements — this is a hallmark of chemical bonding.
Answer
The properties of a compound are not an average of its elements' properties. Chemical bonding creates an entirely new substance with its own unique characteristics, which is what distinguishes compounds from mixtures.
About Compound
A pure substance composed of two or more different elements chemically bonded together in a fixed ratio, whose properties differ entirely from those of its.
Learn more about Compound →More Compound Examples
Example 1 easy
Define a compound and explain how it differs from both an element and a mixture.
Example 3 mediumClassify each as an element, compound, or mixture: (a) table salt (NaCl), (b) oxygen gas ([formula])
Example 4 hardHydrogen peroxide ([formula]) and water ([formula]) both contain hydrogen and oxygen. Explain why th