The oxygen atom is present in many substances, simple and compounds.
Substance is a term that comes from the Latin word substantia . This is the name given to matter that is characterized by having certain particular and stable properties .
atoms and molecules
Also mentioned as a substance , a substance is made up of atoms and molecules , as understood in the field of science. Matter whose chemical composition is fixed is called a chemical substance , for example.
Chemical substances have properties that are specific and that, at a certain pressure and temperature , are reproducible. On the other hand, these substances cannot be converted into others through physical means.
simple substance
A simple substance (also known as an elementary substance ) is made up of molecules or atoms of the same kind. Some of the most common examples of this type of substance are ozone (which is made up of three oxygen atoms) and atomic oxygen (which has simply one oxygen atom in its composition).
We can also talk about graphite and diamond, both whose molecules have atoms of a single type, carbon, although the bonds that these present in each case are different.
compound substance
A compound substance can be made up of two, three or more kinds of atoms, and it is the opposite concept to the previous one. Among the chemical elements present in the periodic table we can form approximately three million different combinations of this class, which are also known as chemical compounds . A chemical formula is used to represent it; Such is the case of water, whose formula is H 2 O , since it has two hydrogen atoms (the quantity is indicated by the subscript) and one oxygen atom.
Some compound substances are identified by a unique number, assigned to them by the Chemical Abstracts Service . It is important to note that it is not possible to divide the elements that are part of a compound substance through distillation, filtration or other physical processes, but rather some chemical process must be used. Also, that the bonds of its ions or molecules are stable and do not respond to arbitrary selections by humans. In other words, these are not alloys or mixtures created by our species.
Joining two identical chemical elements, on the other hand, does not mean creating a composite substance, since this would not meet the condition of diversity, essential in its definition. Regarding their classification, these substances can be:
* molecules that are joined by covalent bonds;
* ionic compounds , that is, they contain two substances with very different electronegativity. Its bond is ionic;
* intermetallic compounds , with metallic type bonds;
* complexes that are joined by coordination bonds.
The essential
Substance, on the other hand, is called the essence of something: "The coach did not respect the substance of the club and that is why he was fired" , "Beyond the changes implemented, the substance of the agreement remains unchanged" , "I agree ." "I agree with the substance of what you say, but not with the forms."
A compound substance essential for life is water.
Substance is also the importance or depth of an element, a thing, a phenomenon, etc.: "It was a superficial presentation without substance" , "I find it very pleasant to talk with the doctor, he is a man with a lot of substance" , "I don't like to waste time on films without substance."
Gastronomic recipe
Depending on the region, finally, we can find the concept of substance in the field of cooking and gastronomy . It may be a meal prepared with sugar, milk and egg that is provided to those who are convalescing in Paraguay ; from a consommé in Nicaragua ; or a candy that is made with gelatin, sugar and beaten egg whites in Chile .