An element is only made out of one particular atom. If you were to look at the periodic table, every square is representing one element. So, sodium (Na) is just sodium. It is made up of only sodium atoms, which have special properties associated with them. That is the same with every element on the table. Every element is made of a special atom that is somewhat different than the atoms in all the rest...
An element is only made out of one particular atom. If you were to look at the periodic table, every square is representing one element. So, sodium (Na) is just sodium. It is made up of only sodium atoms, which have special properties associated with them. That is the same with every element on the table. Every element is made of a special atom that is somewhat different than the atoms in all the rest of the elements on the table. They are arranged on the periodic table so that atoms with similar chemical properties are next to each other.
A compound, however, is when two or more elements are combined together to make a completely different substance. When sodium (Na) is combined with chlorine (Cl), it makes sodium chloride (NaCl). Sodium chloride behaves differently than both sodium and chlorine by themselves. Chlorine, for example, is a gas at room temperature. Sodium is a solid that is really soft, almost like cream cheese. When they combine, they make a crystal-like substance, which we know as salt.
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