CHEM 111 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Dmitri Mendeleev, Chemical Formula, Krypton
4 Mar 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Element- a basic building block of matter that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical changes. Atom- the smallest particle of an element that can enter into a chemical reaction. Symbol- an abbreviation for the name of an element. The smaller particle of an element is an atom. Elements cannot be broken down by chemical means to a simpler substance. Most elements are found in nature combined with other elements. Elements that are found in uncombined form in nature include gold, silver, copper, and platinum as well as the noble gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon. Chemical elements are not distributed equally in nature. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. Oxygen is the most abundant element on the earth and in the human body. Names for the chemical elements come from a variety of sources, including latin, location of discovery, and famous scientists.
