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Amongst several other popular and common questions asked in a chemistry exam, one such question is the difference between an element and a compound.
To understand them, students have to be thorough with the list of different elements and compounds. First, the most crucial factor to remember is that both compounds and elements are unadulterated chemical substances found in nature.
Key Takeaways
- An element is a substance made up of only one type of atom.
- A compound is a substance comprising two or more different types of atoms chemically bonded together.
- Elements cannot be broken down into simpler substances, while compounds can be separated into component elements through chemical reactions.
Element vs Compound
An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means and consists of atoms of only one type. A compound is a substance formed when two or more elements chemically combine in a fixed ratio, and its properties are different from its constituent elements.
An example of an element is oxygen. Since 8 is the atomic volume of oxygen, it refers to all the atoms that have a total of 8 protons.
Four primary types of compounds are distinguished by the way the component atoms are bound to each other. These are covalent bonds, ionic bonds, metallic bonds, and coordinate covalent bonds.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of comparison | Element | Compound |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | These are pure substances that are made up of just a single variety of atoms. | These substances comprise a minimum of two different varieties of elements held together by a chemical bond. |
| Types | Classified as metalloids, non-metals, and metals. | Classified as per their bonds such as molecular, ionic, and metallic. |
| Representation | Represented by numbers and symbols, such as Calcium is represented by Ca. | Represented by their respective chemical formula, such as salt is represented as NaCl. |
| Property and Composition | Since just a single type of atom makes an element, the properties of the atom are represented by the component atom. | When it comes to a compound, similar types of molecules comprise it. |
| Total Numbers | A total of 118 elements are there, out of which 94 happen naturally. | There is an infinite number of compounds. |
| Differentiated By | Differentiated by the atomic number. | Differentiated by the fixed ratio of the elements arranged in a definite manner. |
| Ability to Breakdown | Any chemical reaction cannot break it down. | It can easily be separated into different simpler substances by a chemical reaction. |
| Examples | Iron, Gold, and Copper. | Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Sodium Chloride (NaCl). |
What is an Element?
If you want to put the definition of an element in simple words, it is just a substance that consists of similar types of atoms.
An example of an element is iron, with the chemical sign Fe. 118 elements in total have been successfully identified. Of these 118 elements, 24 are synthetic elements, and the rest 94 are found in their natural forms on earth.
“Element” is a term given to those atoms with a specific number of protons, irrespective of whether they are chemically bonded or ionized.
An excellent example of this is hydrogen, as in water. The term is also used for chemical substances in their pure form made up of a single element, such as hydrogen gas.
Out of the 94 elements that occur naturally and have atomic numbers ranging from 1 to 82, each one of them has a minimum of one stable isotope. However, exceptions to this rule include technetium or element 43 and promethium or element 61.
Both of these elements do not have stable isotopes. You need to know that no radioactive decay has been recorded or observed for stable isotopes.
What is a Compound?
When you talk about a chemical compound, it refers to any substance that consists of a minimum of 2 different varieties of atoms or chemical elements fixed in a stoichiometric proportion and can also be termed a chemical compound.
In the case of any non-stoichiometric compound, the proportions can be reproducible without much trouble with regard to their specific preparations.
You need to know that chemical compounds tend to possess a definite and one-of-a-kind chemical structure that is bound in a definite spatial arrangement with the help of chemical bonds.
There are different types of compounds that are distinguished by the way they are held together.
For example, molecular compounds held by covalent bonds, intermetallic compounds held by metallic bonds, salts held by ionic bonds, and chemical complexes held by coordinate covalent bonds.
Main Differences Between Element and Compound
- Pure substances that are made up of a single variety of atoms are known as elements. On the other hand, substances formed by a minimum of 2 different varieties of atoms or elements bound by a chemical proportion are known as compounds.
- A total of 118 different types of elements are there, out of which 94 occur in their natural state on earth, whereas compounds are differentiated by the type of bonds that bind them, such as molecular, metallic or ionic.
- Elements are always represented by numbers and symbols such as sodium or Na. However, compounds are always represented by their respective chemical formula, such as sodium chloride NaCl.
- Elements are differentiated by their respective atomic numbers, whereas compounds are differentiated by their respective fixed ratio of various elements that are arranged in a definite manner.
- Elements can’t be broken down any further by any chemical reaction. On the other hand, it is straightforward to break down or separate compounds into various simpler substances with the help of chemical reactions.
- Examples of elements include gold, iron, and copper. Examples of compounds include sodium hydroxide or NaOH and sodium chloride or NaCl.
