Atoms and Elements

Combining elements
How it is possible to have so many different materials
from a limited number of elements?
Combining elements
How do you get so many
different cheeses?
What is the key ingredient in
all cheeses?
Milk is combined with a
small number of ingredients
under different conditions to
make a huge number of
different cheeses.

In a similar way, a small number of elements can be

combined in many different ways to make a huge
number of different compounds.
What is a compound?
A compound is the substance produced when two or more
elements combine in a chemical reaction.

Two elements, hydrogen (H)

and oxygen (O), combine to
make the compound, water.

Which two elements combine

to make the compound
carbon dioxide?

A compound is always made up of two or more

different types of atom.
 Making a compound – carbon dioxide
A compound has very different properties to the elements
from which it is made.

elements compound
carbon oxygen carbon dioxide

combines to make
with

A black solid A colourless gas A colourless gas

which can be which is essential which is used
used as a fuel. for life. to put out fires.
 Making a compound – water
What are the elements which make up water?
In what ways are the elements different to their compound?

elements compound
hydrogen oxygen water

combines to make
with

A colourless gas A liquid which is

A colourless gas
which is essential essential to our
which is used in
for life. lives and has many
hot air balloons.
different uses.
Element or compound?

What does each picture show ?

an element , molecule or a compound?

Let’s watch this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV4jJZCIMPo&t=205s
Chemical reaction to make water
In a chemical reaction new substances are formed.
Elements combine with each other to make new substances
called compounds.

+
hydrogen oxygen water
The substances which combine in a reaction are the reactants.
The new substances produced in a reaction are the products.
The products have different properties to the reactants from
which they are formed.
Compounds can also combine with elements or other
compounds to make new compounds.
Atoms joining in a chemical reaction
When the two elements, hydrogen and oxygen, combine in a
chemical reaction, the hydrogen and oxygen atoms do not
just mix together they become joined to one another.

hydrogen + oxygen water

H H
+ O O
H H

In a chemical reaction, the atoms in the reactants

become joined in different ways and this is how
new substances are formed.
 Glossary

atom – The smallest particle that can exist on its own.

compound – Substance made up of two or more
different elements that are chemically joined together.
element – Substance made up of only one type of atom.
formula – The symbols and numbers that represent the
atoms in a substance.
molecule – Two or more atoms that are chemically
joined together.
periodic table – Table in which all known elements are
arranged based on their properties.
symbol – One or two letters that represent an element.