A compound consisting of more than one element and having covalent bonds can be categorized as which of the following?

A compound that consists of more than one element and is characterized by covalent bonds is identified as a molecular compound. Molecular compounds are formed when two or more nonmetals share electrons, resulting in the formation of molecules. The covalent bonding occurs when the atoms share their valence electrons to achieve stability, typically resembling the electron configuration of noble gases.

This category is distinct from the others, such as empirical compounds, which refer to the simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound, but do not detail the actual arrangement of atoms. Ionic compounds, on the other hand, are formed from the electrostatic attraction between positively and negatively charged ions, which typically involves metal and nonmetal elements, not primarily covalent bonding. Binary compounds specifically refer to compounds consisting of only two different elements, while molecular compounds can include more than two elements.

Therefore, the characteristics of covalent bonding and the potential complexity of the composition make molecular compound the appropriate choice for a compound with more than one element that forms through shared electron interactions.