What is the smallest unit of a compound

Question

theeric · Answer

I did some research, and I believe that a molecule is the smallest unit of a compound.

Firstly, I believe "smallest unit" refers to what you have many copies of to create the compound, not the smallest component of a compound.

You can Google "smallest unit of a compound."

Alternatively, you can consider the definition of a compound. A compound has multiple elements. An atom can be only one element, so that is incorrect. It must be atoms put together, into a molecule. Many copies of the molecule then make up the compound, I guess.

anonymous · Answer

I only answer this for further clarification. A "compound" is the key to the answer. A compound contains at least two different elements, which means an atom would no longer be part of the compound but part of an invidual piece of the compound. So a molecule of the compound is the correct answer as it is the smallest unit that still represents the compound

anonymous · Answer

It is a quark

theeric · Answer

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070713081312AAOCzzE Plagiarism is unkind, and listing sources is kind.... I make no assumptions. I will say that this information was previously posted on Yahoo! Answers by btpage0630 at the link above, six years ago! So thanks to him! I read that, too! It's the only reason I recognized it! Here was btpage0630's response, at that link: "I only answer this for further clarification. A "compound" is the key to the answer. A compound contains at least two different elements, which means an atom would no longer be part of the compound but part of an invidual piece of the compound. So a molecule of the compound is the correct answer as it is the smallest unit that still represents the compound." Thank you for sharing! I might start sharing all my sources when I answer a question, too. I have sometimes, but it seemed unnecessary at other times - where I absorbed the knowledge. Still, my knowledge could be distorted, and then it'd be handy for someone else to see my bad source! I think the most important part of the question is the word "unit."