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The world around us is made up of molecules. The smallest droplet of water, or speck of dust will contain millions and millions of molecules. A single grain of sand is made up of around 20 million, million, million molecules of silicon dioxide.
A molecule is the smallest amount of a compound which can exist. By joining different atoms together in different ways we get every type of molecule, though there are rules to how atoms can be joined together. Oxygen atoms for example, always form two bonds, while carbon always forms four. If an oxygen atom had only one bond with another atom, the molecule would not be stable.
In this zone we’ll meet chemists working with molecules. There is one scientist looking at new ways of binding metals to sugars, as well as two researchers developing new molecules to use in medicines. Another researcher looking at how different substances interact with our bodies to act as poisons. Finally, we’ll meet a scientist looking at different ways molecules react together with the goal of finding a clean source of fuel.
You can learn more about the five chemists in this zone, and how they work with molecules by reading their profiles.
