Introduction
The distinction between an element and a compound is one of many other well-known and typical problems answered on a chemistry test. Students must thoroughly review the list of various elements and compounds in order to comprehend them. The most important thing to keep in mind right away is that both compounds and elements are pure chemical substances that may be found in nature.
Pure chemical elements and compounds can be found in nature. An element is a material formed of the same sort of atoms as a compound, but a compound is made of various elements mixed together in a certain ratio. The elements like iron, copper, hydrogen, and oxygen are a few examples. Compounds include, for instance, salt and water (H2O) (Sodium Chloride-NaCl).
On the Periodic Table, elements are arranged according to their atomic number. 94 of the 117 known elements, including carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, are found in nature. 22 is created synthetically after undergoing radioactive alterations. This is because of their instability, which causes them to undergo radioactive decay over time and give rise to new elements like uranium, thorium, and bismuth in the process. Chemical linkages that support compound formation allow elements to mix in certain ratios to produce stable compounds.
Elements vs. compounds
The primary distinction between an element and a compound is that an element is a particular type of atom with a comparable number of protons in its atomic nucleus. A material made up of numerous similar molecules and atoms from various elements that are joined together by chemical bonds is referred to as a chemical compound.
The element oxygen is one example. Since oxygen has an atomic volume of 8, it is understood to refer to all atoms with a total of 8 protons. Compounds may be divided into four main categories according to how their constituent atoms are linked to one another. These include coordinate covalent bonds, covalent bonds, ionic bonds, and metallic bonds.
Differences in Properties
The name, symbol, atomic number, melting and boiling points, density, and ionisation energies of an element are used to identify it. According to their atomic number, elements are grouped together in the periodic table based on comparable chemical characteristics and are represented by their symbols.
Atomic number: The atomic number, which is represented by the symbol Z, is the total number of protons in an element's atom's nucleus. For instance, carbon, for instance, contains six protons in its nucleus, so Z = 6. The number of protons also indicates the electric charge or the number of electrons in the nucleus, which affects the element's chemical characteristics.
Atomic Mass: The letter A denotes the element's atomic mass, which is the sum of all the protons and neutrons in an atom's nucleus. The atomic masses of different isotopes of the same element vary.
The number of protons in an element's isotopes' nuclei is the same, but the number of neutrons varies. There are several stable isotopes of every element that occurs in nature. Because they have the same number of protons, isotopes have similar chemical properties, but they have different nuclear properties (due to a different number of neutrons). For instance, there are three isotopes of carbon: carbon-12, carbon-13, and carbon-14.
The fact that an element's atoms can form a variety of bonds with one another causes differences in its chemical properties.For instance, carbon produces diamonds when it forms a tetrahedron, whereas graphite is made up of layers of carbon hexagons.
Different elements are combined in compounds in a predetermined ratio. For instance, one molecule of sodium chloride (NaCl) is created when one sodium (Na) atom and one chlorine (Cl) atom combine. The components of a compound don't always retain their original characteristics and can't be physically separated. The valency of the components makes it easier to combine them. The number of hydrogen atoms needed to form a compound with one atom of an element is known as valency. When temperatures are low enough, most substances can exist as solids and can be broken down by heat. Compounds may have an inhomogeneous structure due to foreign components trapped inside their crystal structures. Compounds are represented by their chemical formula, which follows the Hill method and lists the carbon and hydrogen atoms first, followed by the alphabetical listing of the elements.
Difference Between Element and Compound in Tabular Form
| Parameter comparison between element and compound | Element | Compound |
| Definition | A pure chemical compound comprised of the same type of atom is called an element. | A compound is made up of atoms from several elements that have been chemically mixed in a certain ratio. |
| Composition | Only one kind of atom is found in elements. The number of protons in the nucleus of each atom is equal to its atomic number. | Compounds are made up of various elements ordered through chemical bonding in a certain order and set ratio. They only contain one kind of chemical. Chemical reactions combine the constituent parts to form the compound. |
| Ability to break down | Chemical processes cannot degrade elements into less complex compounds. | Chemical processes or reactions can break down a complex into simpler elements. |
| Representation | Symbols are used to symbolize an element. | The chemical formula of a compound, which represents the symbols of its component elements and the number of atoms in each, is used to represent the compound. |
| Types | Approximately 117 components have been identified. is categorized as either metal, non-metal, or metalloid. | Chemical compounds may be produced in enormous, almost infinite quantities. Molecular compounds, ionic compounds, intermetallic compounds, and complexes are different types of compounds. |
| Example | Elements include substances like hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), sodium (Na), chlorine (Cl), carbon (C), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au). | Compounds include things like water (H2O), sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and hydrochloric acid (HCl). |
What is an Element?
In the simplest terms possible, an element may be described as a material made up of atoms of comparable sorts. Iron, which has the chemical symbol Fe, is a prime example of an element. The total number of items correctly detected is 118. Of these 118 elements, 24 are manufactured while the remaining 94 are present on Earth in their natural states. Regardless of whether they are chemically bound or ionized, atoms with a certain number of protons are referred to as elements.
The hydrogen found in water is a prime example of this. The phrase is also used to describe chemical compounds that are composed entirely of a single element, such as hydrogen gas.
Each of the 94 naturally occurring elements, whose atomic numbers range from 1 to 82, has at least one stable isotope. Technetium, or element 43, and promethium, or element 61, are two exceptions to this norm. There are no stable isotopes of either one of these elements. You must be aware that stable isotopes have not undergone any radioactive decay that has been observed or recorded.
A chemical substance known as an element has just one kind of atom. In the periodic chart, all particles have the same atomic number. Metals, non-metals, and metalloids are the three categories into which chemical elements fall.
- Metals: The periodic table's section on metals is on the left. The characteristics of metals include electro-conductivity, magnetic properties, malleability, shine, etc. Metals include, but are not limited to, copper, aluminum, gold, iron, mercury, etc.
- Non-metallic: The non-metallic elements are listed on the right side of the periodic table. They have a glossy finish and are neither magnetic, bendable, nor electroconductive. The nonmetal elements oxygen and carbon are two excellent examples.
- Metalloids: The medium-sized elements, also known as metalloids, are now discussed. They exhibit a few combined metal and nonmetal characteristics. Arsenic and silicon are metalloids. These are the primary characteristics and groupings of elements in chemistry.
What is a Compound?
Any kind of material that has at least two different kinds of atoms or chemical elements fixed in a stoichiometric proportion and is referred to as a chemical compound is included in the definition of the word.
With reference to their individual formulations, the proportions of any non-stoichiometric chemical may be easily repeated. You should be aware that chemical compounds typically have a distinct chemical structure that is bonded in a certain spatial arrangement by chemical bonds.
Different compounds can be identified according to how they are joined together. For instance, salts are bound together by ionic bonds, chemical complexes are held together by covalent bonds, and molecular compounds are held together by covalent bonds.
A compound is a chemical substance made up of many different atom types. Generally, more than one different sort of element produces a compound. Covalent or ionic bonds hold the components together in compounds. A chemical compound is created when the atoms of two different elements join together to form a bond.
As an illustration, we are using NaCl. Ionic bonds are created when sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) come together. They are mixed and produce sodium chloride thanks to that connection (NaCl).
In the current world, pure chemical compounds don't exist. Each chemical compound has a distinct structure and an established atom ratio.
These particular categories of chemical substances include
- molecules that include a covalent link.
- and compounds between molecules that include a metallic link.
- Ionic-bonding salts.
- Coordinate covalent molecules that are complex.
Main Difference Between an Element and a Compound in Points
- An element is an unadulterated substance that is comprised entirely of a single type of atom. Contrarily, substances that are composed of at least two distinct types of atoms or elements and are joined by a chemical proportion are referred to as compounds.
- There are 118 different types of elements in all, 94 of which are found on earth in their natural condition. Compounds are distinguished by the kinds of bonds that hold them together, such as molecular, metallic, or ionic.
- Numerical and symbolic representations of elements, such as sodium or Na, are constantly used. But every compound is identified by its own chemical formula. For example, sodium chloride is NaCl.
- Compounds are distinguished from elements by the set ratio of several atoms that are ordered in a certain way, whereas elements are distinguished by their distinct atomic numbers. No chemical process can degrade an element any more. On the other hand, the use of chemical processes makes it relatively easy to separate or break down compounds into numerous simpler components.
- The elements include things like copper, iron, and gold. Compounds like sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium chloride (NaCl) are examples. There are 118 different types of elements in all, 94 of which are found on earth in their natural condition. Compounds are distinguished by the kinds of bonds that hold them together, such as molecular, metallic, or ionic.
- Numerical and symbolic representations of elements, such as sodium or Na, are constantly used. But every compound is identified by its own chemical formula. For example, sodium chloride is NaCl. Compounds are distinguished from elements by the set ratio of several atoms that are ordered in a certain way, whereas elements are distinguished by their distinct atomic numbers.
- No chemical process can degrade an element anymore. On the other hand, the use of chemical processes makes it relatively easy to separate or break down compounds into numerous simpler components.
- The elements include things like copper, iron, and gold. Compounds like sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium chloride (NaCl) are examples.
Conclusion
It will be quite easy for you to distinguish between an element and a compound if you have a clear understanding of what each term means. Compounds are made up of numerous distinct atoms as opposed to elements, which are composed of a single type of atom.
You may claim that different elements make up different compounds. Compounds are also extremely easily broken down. But dissecting an ingredient is pointless. If you try dissolving hydrogen, you will understand what I'm saying.
References
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ed084p880
- https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-23393-001
- Chemical element - Wikipedia
