🔤Element vs Compound🧩
Elements and compounds are both pure substances, but only one can be broken down into something simpler.
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🔤Element
- ✓Made of only one type of atom
- ✓Cannot be broken down chemically
- ✓Listed on the periodic table
- ✓Examples: oxygen, gold, carbon
- ✓About 118 known elements
🧩Compound
- ✓Two or more elements chemically bonded
- ✓Can be broken down into elements
- ✓Has properties different from its elements
- ✓Fixed ratio of atoms by formula
- ✓Examples: water, carbon dioxide, salt
Verdict
An element is the simplest pure substance and cannot be split chemically; a compound is elements bonded in a fixed ratio that can be broken down again.
Frequently asked
Can a compound be split into elements?+
Yes. A compound can be chemically decomposed into the elements that make it.
Do compounds keep their elements' properties?+
No. A compound usually has properties quite different from the elements it contains.
How many elements exist?+
About 118 elements are currently recognized on the periodic table.
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