Element

An element is a substance made from only one type of atom.

  • Every element contains a different type of atom.
  • The difference between the atoms of different elements is the number of protons present in the nucleus.
  • Unlike a compound, the chemical structure of an element cannot be broken down into a more simple substance.
  • A complete list of elements can be found in the Periodic Table which orders each element according to its atomic number.
  • Atomic numbers correspond with the number of protons present in each nucleus.