How are large compounds/molecules formed?

[LogicalAcid]

If the purpose of elements reacting was to stabilize the atoms, then after a standard reaction shouldn't the atoms be completely stable, instead of having to form compounds/molecules of 10+ atoms?

 

[zhermes]

If the purpose of elements reacting was to stabilize the atoms,

What do you mean 'the purpose' of a reaction?

then after a standard reaction shouldn't the atoms be completely stable

There is no such thing as 'completely' stable (for all intents and purposes), you can be arbitrarily stable or unstable.

instead of having to form compounds/molecules of 10+ atoms?

large compounds can still be highly stable, and more importantly, stable enough to exist.

Can you elaborate on what you're asking exactly.

 

[LogicalAcid]

Large molecules and compounds.

For example, let's take Carbon in its pure elemental form. I thought that when elements react with one another, they become more and more stable, so how is it that when they react, which makes a much more stable compound/molecule, they still react with other elements? I thought that each reaction makes the compound/molecule more and more stable, so how is it that very large molecules/compounds form if the pieces that make them up were supposed to be completely stable after 2-3 reactions keep on reacting a large number of times to form compounds/molecules with a large number of atoms? Is it that even when elements react, the bond is never completely stable? Please explain?

 

[Borek]

I thought that when elements react with one another, they become more and more stable

That's where you are wrong. In short - you can't look at a single product of the reaction, you have to look at everything that happens.

Imagine you have a reaction with more than one product, it may happen that one of these products is highly stable (like water, or carbon dioxide, or sodium chloride) and its stability is what is driving the reaction - but other product is much less stable.

It may also happen that the reaction is driven not by the stability of the products, but by the increasing entropy of the system.

Note that I used term "stability" rather lousily, just to answer the question in terms you have used.

 

[LogicalAcid]

That's where you are wrong. In short - you can't look at a single product of the reaction, you have to look at everything that happens.

Imagine you have a reaction with more than one product, it may happen that one of these products is highly stable (like water, or carbon dioxide, or sodium chloride) and its stability is what is driving the reaction - but other product is much less stable.

It may also happen that the reaction is driven not by the stability of the products, but by the increasing entropy of the system.

Note that I used term "stability" rather lousily, just to answer the question in terms you have used.

I thought entropy was energy not able to be used in a reaction? please explain?