Difference between atom, elements, and compounds.


An atom is the smallest unit of matter that constitutes a chemical element. 

Every solid, liquid, gas, and plasma is composed of atoms. 

An atom is composed of electrons, protons and neutrons.


An element is a pure substance, which is made up of only one kind of atoms. It cannot be further reduced to simpler substances by any physical or chemical methods. An atom is the smallest unit of an element.

Elements are classified into metals, non-metals, metalloids and noble gases.


A compound is a pure substance made up of two or more different elements combined chemically in a fixed proportion. Example of Atoms of different elements forming a compound.

Eg: atoms of Sodium and atoms of Chlorine combine together to form Sodium Chloride (compound)

Na + Cl --> NaCl.

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Updated on: 10-Oct-2022

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