Question

What are the SEVEN DiAtomic molecules? List them and explain why there are DiAtomic and NOT MonAtomic molecules.

Answer 1

The seven diatomic molecules are hydrogen (H₂), nitrogen (N₂), oxygen (O₂), fluorine (F₂), chlorine (Cl₂), bromine (Br₂), and iodine (I₂). They are diatomic because they have a lower potential energy as bonded pairs. Sulfur, usually an eight-atom molecule, is not a standard diatomic element.

Step-by-step explanation:

The seven diatomic molecules are hydrogen (H₂), nitrogen (N₂), oxygen (O₂), fluorine (F₂), chlorine (Cl₂), bromine (Br₂), and iodine (I₂). These molecules are diatomic rather than monoatomic because they are more stable when two atoms of the same element share electrons and form a molecular bond. This bonding lowers the potential energy of the system, making it energetically favorable for these atoms to exist as pairs rather than as individual atoms.

For example, the molecular formula for elemental hydrogen is H₂, which indicates that there are two atoms of hydrogen joined together to make the molecule. Nitrogen, oxygen, and the other diatomic molecules have similar molecular formulas: N₂, O₂, and so on. It's important to note that sulfur, which is sometimes seen as S₂ in spectrometric data, normally exists as an eight-atom molecule and thus is not considered a standard diatomic element.

Answer 2

See explanation

Step-by-step explanation:

The seven elements that form diatomic molecules are:

Hydrogen (H) => H₂

Nitrogen (N) => N₂

Oxygen (O) => O₂

Fluorine (F) => F₂

Chlorine (Cl) => Cl₂

Bromine (Br) => Br₂

Iodine (I) => I₂

How to remember the '7' diatomics => look at periodic table and draw a horizontal line starting at Nitrogen (N) through Fluorine (F), then a vertical line from Fluorine (F) through Astatine (As). The lines drawn make the number '7'. One only need to remember Hydrogen (H) also belongs to the set of elements forming diatomic molecules.