When atoms of different types combine to form molecules, it is a heteroatomic molecule. For example, when Carbon (C) and Oxygen (O) atoms combine under an appropriate reaction condition, it can lead to the formation of two types of products (carbon monoxide, CO, and carbon dioxide, CO2) containing two types of atoms.
A heteroatomic molecule can be diatomic (like hydrogen chloride, HCl), triatomic (like water, H2O), or polyatomic (like methane, CH4).
In simpler terms, these heteroatomic molecules are made of atoms from at least two distinct elements within a single molecule. Therefore, at times, they may also be referred to as heteronuclear molecules.
