What are elements and compounds?

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

A compound has unique properties that are distinct from the properties of its elemental constituents. 

Example of a chemical compound is water, a liquid that is nonflammable and does not support combustion. It is composed of two elements: hydrogen, an extremely flammable gas, and oxygen, a gas that supports combustion.