How are compounds formed and broken apart by?

Answer 1

Compounds, particles made up of more than one element, are held together by electrostatic attractions--called bonds--between the negatively-charged electrons of one atom and the positively-charged proton of another. The bonds in a compound are generally formed when two atoms get close enough together for this attraction to form a bond between them, connecting them. Different atoms have different attractions to other atoms depending on the number of electrons that can be bonded to the other atom.

In order to break apart a compound, therefore, you must break the bond between the atoms in that compound. This can be done when one atom in the compound comes across an outside atom that it is more attracted to. That atom will then bond with the new atom and the compound will be broken.

Bonds can also be broken when energy (usually in the form of heat) is applied to the compound. Different bonds have different strengths and therefore different amounts of energy that must be added in order to break the bond.