A molecular compound is a chemical compound that takes the form of discrete molecules/Chapters/Chapter_3%3A_Compounds/3.1%3A_Molecular_Compounds). These compounds are composed of two or more nonmetal atoms that share electrons with one another in a covalent bond. Unlike ionic compounds, which involve bonds between metal cations and nonmetal anions, molecular compounds are made up of neutral, nonmetal atoms that share electrons in covalent bonds. A binary molecular compound is a molecular compound that is composed of two elements, and in general, the elements that combine to form binary molecular compounds are both nonmetals/Chapters/Chapter_3%3A_Compounds/3.1%3A_Molecular_Compounds). Some examples of molecular compounds include water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) /Chapters/Chapter_3%3A_Compounds/3.1%3A_Molecular_Compounds).
It is important to note that not every molecule is part of a compound. A molecule is the smallest particle into which an element or a compound can be divided without changing its chemical and physical properties. A compound, on the other hand, must involve an atom bonding with atoms of two or more different elements.
