What is a element?
I'm having trouble understanding exactally what a element is and how atoms play a roll in them. Can someone please explain this in a down to earth way? Thanks.
Please don't use a analogy too... Thanks.
2007-07-18 16:59:50 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Each element is made of a different type of atom. The elements are different based upon the number of protons in each of the atom's nuclei. The number of protons gives each element its specific number. For example, oxygen's atomic number is 8, therefore it has 8 protons in its nucleus.
2007-07-18 17:35:13 · answer #1 · answered by sweeeeet_caroline 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An atom is the smallest particle that can still characterize a chemical element (there are smaller particles, but they cannot characterize an element by themselves). An element is a type of atom defined by its atomic number or a pure chemical substance made up of atoms that all have the same number of protons (atomic number).
For example: An atom with 6 protons is also know as the element Carbon. All Carbon atoms will have 6 protons. If an atom has 7 protons then it is Nitrogen. You can refer to the periodic table to see how the atomic number/number of protons increases and make different elements.
2007-07-19 00:06:42 · answer #2 · answered by Lady Geologist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very down to earth:
All matter in the Universe is made up of elements.
98 elements have been discovered to occur in nature.
For example: hydrogen (H) > is an element
carbon (C) > is an element
The most abundant element in the sun is helium (He).
The basic unit of an element is an atom. Elements are made up of atoms.
An element is a quantity of matter all composed of the same atoms.
For example: the element hydrogen (H) is made up of hydrogen atoms that have one proton and one electron.
Etc..
2007-07-19 00:37:01 · answer #3 · answered by Vovó (Grandma) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An atom is based off of three particles, the neutron, proton, and electron, right?
Well, elements are atoms, with different amounts of those three particles.
The element Hydrogen is an atom with 1 proton and 1 electron.
The element Helium is an atom with 2 protons, and 2 electrons.
All elements are single atoms. They just have different amounts of those three particles.
2007-07-19 00:10:47 · answer #4 · answered by Sean C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All matter is made up of atoms. (Atoms are made up of smaller particles, but I'm not getting into that here.)
When matter is composed of only one kind of atom, it is said to be an element.
The periodic table lists all the known elements on Earth.
2007-07-19 00:08:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
atoms construct everything that you see in your surroundings, atoms are the "smallest".. for more information.. wikipedia.org
2007-07-19 00:16:03 · answer #6 · answered by jim 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋