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Chemistry vocabulary · Atoms and the Periodic Table

Element

Meaning in chemistry, with examples

/ˈelɪmənt/nounCore term

In chemistry, element means: A pure substance made of only one kind of atom, all with the same number of protons. It cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical reactions.

In Turkish: element

How it is used

Used constantly with the periodic table. You say an element has a symbol, belongs to a group and forms compounds. Many element names in English differ from Turkish, and some symbols come from Latin.

Example sentences

  1. Sodium is a very reactive element, so we store it under oil.

  2. Which element has the symbol K? Potassium, from the Latin name kalium.

Common collocations

  • chemical element
  • element symbol
  • trace element
  • main-group element
  • atomThe smallest unit of an element that keeps its chemical identity. It has a tiny nucleus of protons and neutrons, with electrons moving around it.
  • periodic tableA chart that arranges all known elements in order of atomic number, in rows called periods and columns called groups. Elements in the same group behave in similar ways.
  • compoundA substance made of two or more different elements chemically joined in a fixed ratio. Water (H₂O) and table salt (NaCl) are common examples.
  • atomic numberThe number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. It identifies the element: every carbon atom has 6 protons and every oxygen atom has 8.
  • transition metalA metal from the central block of the periodic table, usually taken as groups 3 to 12, such as iron, copper, nickel and platinum. Many form colored compounds and have several oxidation states.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Atoms and the Periodic Table

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