Learn The Difference Between Elements and Atoms

In science, an element is a substance that includes only one sort of atom, whereas an atom is the smallest unit of matter capable of exhibiting the characteristics of an element. Elements are categorised according to their physical and molecular qualities, whereas atoms are divided according to their atomic number, atomic mass, radioactivity, electric charge, and other characteristics. Although both these substances are quite similar, they have some differences. This article will emphasise some differences between elements and atoms to dispel any misunderstanding that may exist between these two entities.

Read on to learn more about this Chemistry topic as we discuss elements, atoms, and their differences.

What are Elements?

In Chemistry, an element is defined as a substance that contains only one type of element. So, an atom is a basic particle that constitutes an element. If there are many atoms in an element, all these atoms will have the same number of protons in their nuclei. It implies that all these atoms will have the same atomic number (Z) since atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. Only a small number of elements occur naturally on the earth in pure form (one type of atom), and the majority of elements occur in a combined form (more than one type of atom). 

Classification of elements is done based on their properties. The properties can be physical or chemical. The physical properties of an element are the attributes due to the collection of atoms or molecules in that element. These include melting and boiling point, electrical and thermal conductivity, colour, odour, density, etc. On the other hand, the chemical properties of an element are attributes due to the electronic structure of that element. Chemical properties specify the type of chemical reaction in which an element may participate. 

The total number of elements that are known to us at present is 118. Out of 118, 94 occur naturally, while 24 are man-made. Some examples of elements are: 

Naturally occurring: Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Nitrogen, etc. 

Man made: Astatine, Neptunium, Plutonium, etc. 

What are Atoms?

An atom can be described as the smallest part of matter that can exhibit an element's characteristic properties. So, we can call it the fundamental building block of chemistry. An atom is made up of three elementary particles: protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons are the positively charged particles that reside inside the nucleus of an atom. Electrons are negatively charged particles that revolve around the nucleus in orbit. Neutrons are neutral particles inside the nucleus along with protons. Electrons and a nucleus of an atom are held together by electric forces. 

The overall charge of an atom is determined by the number of electrons and protons present in it. If the number of electrons in an atom is not equal to the number of protons, the atom is said to be an ion. The ion is called a cation (positively charged), if the number of protons is higher, and it is called an anion (negatively charged), if the number of electrons is higher. 

Atoms can be distinguished based on their properties. These properties include atomic number, atomic mass, radioactivity, electric charge, etc. 

Some examples of atoms are hydrogen, deuterium (an isotope of hydrogen), carbon, iron, etc. 

Difference Between Elements And Atoms 

Although, both these substances are almost synonyms of one another. However, they can create some confusion. So, to clear all the doubts, we have come up with some of the differences between elements and atoms. These differences are given in the below table:

Elements	Atoms
These can be described as the simplest form of substances that cannot be generally divided further.	These are the smallest form of an element that can further be divided into subatomic particles.
These can have a large size and mass.	These are very small and cannot be seen by the naked eye.
One element can have only one type of atom. If it has a large number of atoms, they will have the same atomic number.	An atom can have a proton, an electron and a neutron.
The total number of known elements is 118.	The different kinds of atoms present in nature are 92.
When two elements combine, they form molecules.	When two atoms combine, they either form molecules (two different atoms) or they form atoms (two same atoms).

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