The Basic Building Blocks of Matter: Elements and Compounds

What is a single kind of matter that is...

a) An atom b) A molecule c) An element d) A compound

Final answer: An element

Answer:

An element is a single kind of matter made of one type of atom.

In chemistry, properties and behavior of any type of matter depend on its makeup. A single kind of matter that is pure and cannot be broken down into chemically simpler components is known as an element.

An element is composed of only one type of atom, making it the simplest form of matter that retains all of the chemical properties unique to that type of atom. The atoms in an element are identical in mass and chemical properties, and an element cannot be converted into a different element through chemical reactions.

In contrast, a compound is a pure substance composed of two or more different elements that are chemically bonded together in a constant whole-number ratio. For example, water (H2O) is a compound made of hydrogen and oxygen in a 2:1 ratio. Compounds have different properties from the elements that compose them and can be broken down into those elements through chemical reactions.