Elements

Elements are the basic building blocks of everything. Each element is made of just one kind of atom. Gold, oxygen, and iron are all elements. Scientists have found more than 100 elements so far. They are all listed in a chart called the periodic table.

Different Kinds of Elements

Some elements are metals, like copper, silver, and gold. Others are gases, like oxygen and helium. A few are liquids at room temperature, like mercury. Each element has its own name and symbol. For example, O stands for oxygen and H stands for hydrogen.

How Elements Combine

Elements can mix together to form new things. When elements join, they make compounds. Water is a compound made from hydrogen and oxygen. Salt is made from sodium and chlorine. Almost everything you see is made from different elements joined together in new ways.

Fun Facts

• Hydrogen is the lightest and most common element in the universe.
• Your body is made mostly of just a few elements, like oxygen and carbon.
• Some elements, like gold, have been known to people for thousands of years.

Did You Know?

The element helium was first discovered on the sun before it was found on Earth.