What does molecule mean?
Word: Molecule
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Molecule means the smallest unit of a substance that is still that substance, far too tiny to see.
How do you spell molecule?
Syllables: mol - e - cule
Tricky part: The last part sounds like kyool but is spelt cule, with a silent e. Molecool is the slip to watch.
Watch out for: molecul, molacule, molecool
Memory tip: Molecule sounds as if it ends in cool, but it borrows the ule of capsule: think of a capsule too tiny to see.
Molecule in a sentence
Example 1: Sugar is made of molecules too small to see.
Example 2: Our teacher made a model of a molecule with clay balls.
Example 3: Every breath you take is full of oxygen molecules.
Fun Fact
A water molecule has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, which is why water is written H2O.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Inside a raindrop, every molecule keeps moving constently.
a) molecule
b) constently
c) moving
d) raindrop
Show answer
b) constently. Constantly has an a before the ntly.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
ucloemle
a) volume
b) molecular
c) muscle
d) molecule
Show answer
d) molecule. Molecular ends in ar, and the jumble has no r; muscle and volume are too short.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) elektron
b) molecule
c) hydrojen
d) nucleas
Show answer
b) molecule. Electron takes c, hydrogen takes g and nucleus ends in us.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
molecule
a) mixture
b) particle
c) planet
d) liquid
Show answer
b) particle. A molecule is a tiny particle of a substance.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. You can smell a flower from across the room because ____.
a) tiny bits of it float to you
b) its bright petals give off light
c) its colour travels to your nose
d) its leaves make a quiet sound
Show answer
a) tiny bits of it float to you
2. When water boils, its molecules ____.
a) stop moving altogether
b) join into bigger ones
c) move slower and pack closer
d) move faster and spread out
Show answer
d) move faster and spread out
