Final answer:
The statement provided is false; the basic structural unit of a compound is the molecule, not the atom. Molecules consist of atoms from different elements bonded in fixed ratios, forming the substance known as a compound.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'For compounds, the basic structural unit representing the compound is the atom.' is false. The smallest particle of most compounds is called a molecule. For instance, a water molecule (H₂O) is always made up of one atom of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen. This molecule is the basic unit that represents the compound water, not a single atom. Compounds are characterized by atoms of different elements bonded together, and these atoms are in fixed, whole-number ratios.
Isomers are molecules that have the same number and type of atoms but arranged differently. For example, molecules with the formulas CH₃CH₂COOH and C₃H₆O₂ could indeed be structural isomers since they have the same molecular formula but could have a different arrangement of the atoms within the molecule.
Atomic Elements
Most elements exist as individual atoms as their basic unit. When combined in specific ways, these atoms form molecules, which are the basic units of compounds. A single atom by itself cannot represent a compound; it is the molecule, composed of two or more atoms, that does so.