element – a substance made up of only one type of atom
(pronounced el-uh-muhnt)
To remember the meaning of element, use the following mnemonic:
An elephant is only meant (element) to be made of one type of atom bomb.
An element is a pure substance made up of only one kind of atom and it cannot be broken down into simpler substances.
All the atoms within a specific element are identical to each other and different from the atoms of all other elements.
Each element is defined by the number of protons in its atom. The number of protons never changes. Atoms can lose or gain electrons and neutrons. More or less electrons and you have an ion, more or less neutrons and you have an isotope. You can not have more or less protons.
Elements are the fundamental building blocks of all matter in the universe.
All known elements are organised in the periodic table which lists then in order of atomic number i.e.
1 = Hydrogen (has 1 proton)
2 = Helium (has 2 proton)
3 = Lithium (has 3 proton)
4 = Beryllium (has 4 proton)
5 = Boron (has 5 proton)
Each element is represented by a unique one or two letter symbol.
Hydrogen = H
Helium = He
Lithium = Li
Beryllium = Be
Boron = B
Unlike compounds, such as water (Hâ‚‚O), an element such as gold or oxygen cannot be separated into other substances through chemical reactions.
