Elements, Compounds and Mixtures

All substances can be placed into one of three groups: elements, compounds or mixtures.

Elements are substances that contain only one type of atom. Very few substances exist as elements. Most substances around us are either compounds or mixtures.

Compounds are usually very different from the elements of which they are made. In compounds, the atoms of one element are bonded very tightly to the atoms of another element or elements. The elements that make up a compound are completely different substances from the compound. For example, pure salt (sodium chloride) is a compound made up of the elements sodium (a silvery metal) and chlorine (a green, poisonous gas).

Mixtures can be made up of two or more elements, two or more compounds or a combination of elements and compounds. The substances that make up mixtures can usually be easily separated from each other. When the parts of a mixture are separated, no new substances are formed. Fizzy soft drink is a good example of a mixture. If you shake the soft drink, the gas bubbles separate from the water and go into the air. You still have the water in the bottle and the gas in the air.

Harry's Lab

The Inside Story of Elements

Forming Compounds from Elements

Grouping Elements from the Periodic Table

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