Difference between Element and Compound with example

Elements and compounds are pure chemicals found in nature, however, there are several differences between one and the other; Distinctive qualities that should not be ignored in order to avoid confusion when dealing with topics in Chemistry or Biology, where these two terms are used quite frequently. Difference between Element and Compound with example

If you have doubts about what is the difference between compounds and elements, keep reading, because we will explain that to you below and we will also offer you other small information related to the subject.

ELEMENTS  Difference between Element and Compound with example

Elements are substances that are characterized by being made of the same type of atoms . The Periodic Table of the Elements has even been created to list those that have so far been discovered or exist on Earth.

Some examples of elements include: iron, carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. In the Periodic Table they appear according to their Atomic Number and, of the 117 known so far, 94 are natural and 22 are artificially produced.

Among themselves, the elements are distinguished by their names, symbols, atomic numbers, densities, among other things. The atomic number is represented by the letter Z and indicates the number of protons found in the nucleus of each element. For example, Carbon, Z = 6.

There is also the Atomic Mass, which is represented by the letter A and indicates the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom of an element. The isotopes of the same element differ in their atomic masses.

COMPOUNDS

On the other hand, as its name indicates, compounds are made up of different elements that are present in different proportions in the substance. Some of the best known examples are water H2O and sodium chloride or salt NaCl.

Likewise, the elements that form a compound are in fixed proportions; for example, a sodium atom (Na) and a chlorine atom (Cl) will always result in a salt molecule. Most compounds can exist as solids when the temperature is low enough and decompose if heat is applied to them.

Sometimes, particular elements get trapped in the crystalline structure of some compounds causing it to be non-homogeneous.

Finally  Difference between Element and Compound with example

Compounds are identified by their chemical formulas. Before 1800 the term compound was also used as a synonym for “mixture.”