Absolutely Small

14

Bigger Molecules: The Shapes of Polyatomic Molecules

THE WORLD AROUND US is composed of polyatomic molecules. Polyatomic molecules are molecules with more than two atoms. These range in size from triatomic molecules, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), which is a major greenhouse gas, to molecules with thousands of atoms, such as large proteins that are responsible for most biological functions. As discussed in Chapter 13, diatomic molecules can only have one shape, linear. Larger molecules, however, can have very complicated shapes and structures. For example, saturated fats, unsaturated fats, or polyunsaturated fats differ by their shapes and structures, which are determined by the nature of chemical bonds. A given large molecule can have more ...