1pt

Question

Oxygen forms molecules made of two atoms, O2
. Carbon and oxygen form molecules made of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms, CO2
. Which of the statements below is true?
A.
Both O2
and CO2
are compounds.
B.
Both O2
and CO2
are molecules.
C.
O2
is a compound while CO2
is a molecule.
D.
O2
is a molecule while CO2
is a compound

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

D. O2 is a molecule while CO2 is a compound.

Here's the reasoning:

• O2 (oxygen) consists of two atoms of the same element and is therefore classified as a diatomic molecule, but not a compound.
• CO2 (carbon dioxide) is made up of two different elements (carbon and oxygen) and is classified as a compound.

So, while both are molecules, only CO2 is a compound.