Question

What is meant by an element and a compound?

Answer 1

1. Element: A pure material made up of only one type of atom that cannot be broken into two or more substances.
2. All living things in nature are made up of a few common elements such as Hydrogen$\left(\mathrm{H}\right)$, Carbon$\left(\mathrm{C}\right)$, Oxygen$\left(\mathrm{O}\right)$, Nitrogen$\left(\mathrm{N}\right)$, Calcium$\left(\mathrm{Ca}\right)$, Phosphorus$\left(\mathrm{P}\right)$, etc. Hence, we can say that the elements are the building blocks of the universe.
3. Compound: A compound is also a pure substance that is made up of two or more elements chemically combined in a fixed proportion by mass.
4. For example, water is represented as $\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\right)$ in which hydrogen and oxygen are present in the fixed proportion of $1:8$by mass i.e., the atomic mass of$\mathrm{H}=1\mathrm{u},\mathrm{O}=16\mathrm{u}$.
5. Therefore, Water has the formula$\left({\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\right)$. Hence,$2\mathrm{u};16\mathrm{u}=1:8$.