Chapter 2, Problem 1R

What is a chemical element?

Summary Introduction

To review:

Chemical element.

Introduction:

Chemical element constitutes all the matter in the universe. In chemistry, the term element refers a substance whose atoms have the same atomic number. In nuclear chemistry, a pure element consists of only one stable isotope.

Explanation of Solution

A chemical element is a material which cannot be decomposed into simpler substance using chemicals. The elements are the basic chemical unit of matter. Of 118 identified elements, 94 are known to occur naturally and others are synthetic elements. Each element is represented by its atomic number, its element name, or symbol. For example, symbol for hydrogen is H and carbon is C. On earth the most abundant elements are oxygen, iron, hydrogen, and helium. Atoms of an element may be produced by the process of fusion, fission, or radioactive decay. Other examples of elements include hydrogen, gold, sulfur, oxygen, uranium, iron, argon, and titanium.

Conclusion

The chemical elements on earth varies from air to crust to ocean.