Is a chemical element and an atom of that element the same thing?

Question

If we take Fe which is an atom and element for instance why do we need two different terms for the same thing?
Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

No, an atom and an element are generally not the same thing. An element is a much more general term than atom. An atom refers to the smallest particle which still retains the same properties of the element. An atom is just a atom, but Elements are made up of atoms of that element.

You might have a single Iron (Fe) atom, or you might have a sample of "elemental" Iron, which contains many Fe atoms.

Answer 2

We don't need the confusions, that's for sure. How I teach it to the very young is this way:

1. Energy appeared at the beginning of the Universe.
2. Energy flies in waves. (electromagnetic spectrum)
3. Bundles of energy formed called "photons".
4. Two or three photons can come together and form particles (electrons, neutrons and protons.)
5. We call those bundles of energy that shimmer together as particles, "matter".
6. Particles can come together and form families called "atoms"
7. Atom families that are alike (same numbers of electrons, neutrons, protons) are called "elements". There are many different elements. (Periodic Table)
8. Elements, or like-atoms, can come together and we sometimes call those constructions "molecules" of an element.
9. Different kinds of atom families, or, elements, can come together and form compound molecules.
10. Compounds can come together and form organic compounds.
11. And, just to finish it, organic compounds can come together into lifeforms capable of consciousness and possessing senses.
12. When the bundles called photons are flying around in waves, we call that "energy". When photons are shimmering together or are tangled up with each other, we call them "matter" (or, "potential" energy). Photons can change back and forth from energy to matter and matter to energy. That's what Einstein's formula E = MC2 means.

Here's a picture that we've recently taken of the beginning of the Universe when all that energy first appeared.
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/03/0217/

Answer 3

Well, a substance is usually only called an element when it is in its elemental form. For example you would call Na metal an element but if you had NaCl you would refer to the Na in NaCl as an atom.