MOLECULES-AND-ALLOYS
Elements may bind themselves with elements of a different type, thus forming
molecules. The properties of molecules differ from that of the composing atoms or
elements. Water for instance consists of two atoms hydrogen (H) and one atom
oxygen (O). The elements hydrogen and oxygen both are gasses at room
temperature and atmospheric pressure but bound together in a molecule of water they
form a liquid. Molecules of the same type form a material with unique properties and
by definition a molecule thus is the smallest part of material that still has all the
properties of that material. Molecules in turn can bind themselves to molecules of
different compositions, again creating a new material with unique properties. Glass
for instance consists of a complex composition of molecules silicon oxide, sodium
oxide, potassium oxide and calcium oxide but there exists no such thing as a
molecule of glass. Homogeneous blends of different metal molecules, like Chromel
and Kanthal, used in heat lamp elements, are called alloys.
