what does diatomic mean
Diatomic molecules are molecules composed of only two atoms, of either the same or different chemical elements. The prefix di-is of Greek origin, meaning two.If a diatomic molecule consists of two atoms of the same element, such as hydrogen (H 2) or oxygen (O 2), then it is said to be homonuclear.Otherwise, if a diatomic molecule consists of two different atoms, such as carbon monoxide (CO) or nitric oxide (NO), the molecule is said to be heteronuclear.he only chemical elements that form stable homonuclear diatomic molecules at standard temperature and pressure (STP) (or typical laboratory conditions of 1 bar and 25 Â°C) are the gases hydrogen (H 2), nitrogen (N 2), oxygen (O 2), fluorine (F 2), and chlorine (Cl 2).