What is the smallest partial of a compound?

Answer 1

A #"molecule"# or a #"formula unit.........."#

One of the most important questions to ask of a material is whether it is #"molecular"# or #"non-molecular"#. Molecular materials include all gases, water, sugars, most organic species etc. We can thus speak of the #"molecularity"# of a substance, and #"molecular"# substances tend to have intrinsically LOWER melting points, and boiling points than #"non-molecular"# substances.

Non-molecular materials include network solids, metals, polymers..........and of course the smallest part of a such a material is a formula unit. So let us take a simple example, #NaCl#, or #CaCO_3#, which materials are of course #"non-molecular"#, and consist of an infinite array of sodium ions, and chloride ions, or calcium ions, and carbonate ions........And the smallest part of this material is of course the NEUTRAL species, the formula unit, #NaCl# or #CaCO_3#.

#"Claro....?"#

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Answer 2

Wyatt Atkins

The smallest part of a compound is an atom.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.