Which of the following best describes how molecules are formed?

• A. Molecules are formed when atoms lose all their electrons and become positively charged.
• B. Atoms share or transfer electrons to achieve stable electron configurations, resulting in chemical bonds that form molecules.
• C. Molecules are formed by the physical mixing of atoms without any change in their electron arrangements.
• D. Atoms combine only through metallic bonds to form molecules.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that molecules are formed through chemical bonding, which involves interactions between atoms' electrons.
2. Recall that atoms tend to achieve stable electron configurations, often resembling the nearest noble gas configuration, by either sharing or transferring electrons.
3. Recognize that when atoms share electrons, they form covalent bonds, and when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, ionic bonds are formed; both types of bonds result in molecules or compounds.
4. Note that losing all electrons to become positively charged ions is not how molecules form; instead, atoms either share or transfer some electrons to achieve stability.
5. Conclude that molecules are not formed by mere physical mixing or exclusively by metallic bonds, but by atoms sharing or transferring electrons to create chemical bonds.