In chemistry, an element and a compound are two distinct types of substances.
An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical means. Elements are characterized by their unique atomic number, which corresponds to the number of protons in the nucleus of their atoms. Each element has its own set of properties and is represented by a unique symbol, such as H for hydrogen, O for oxygen, and Na for sodium.
A compound, on the other hand, is a substance composed of two or more elements chemically bonded together in a fixed ratio. Compounds have properties that are different from those of the individual elements that make them up. The constituent elements in a compound are held together by chemical bonds, which can be either ionic or covalent. For example, water (H₂O) is a compound consisting of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom.
In summary, the key difference between an element and a compound is that an element is a pure substance composed of only one type of atom, while a compound is a substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more different elements.