Ohio State Board Nail Technician Practice Exam 2026 – Your All-in-One Resource to Exam Success!

When two or more substances are combined, a compound is formed when the substances chemically react with each other and create a new substance with its own unique properties. Compounds involve the bonding of different elements, such as hydrogen and oxygen forming water (H₂O). This transformation represents a chemical change, as the original substances lose their individual properties and a new substance is established.

In contrast, a molecule simply refers to a group of atoms bonded together, which may not necessarily include different elements (as is the case with oxygen, O₂). An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances, while a solution is a mixture in which one substance is dissolved in another, retaining the individual characteristics of each component rather than forming a new chemical entity. Thus, the formation of a compound is what directly results from the chemical combination of different substances.