
Chemical element | Definition, Origins, Distribution, & Facts - Britannica
Nov 29, 2025 · A chemical element is any substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processes. Elements are the fundamental materials of which all …
chemical element - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
A chemical element is a basic substance. It cannot be broken down into simpler substances. Chemical elements are the building blocks for all matter—that is, everything that…
Chemical element - Atomic Structure, Periodic Table, Properties ...
Nov 29, 2025 · The chemical characteristics of elements are intimately related to the number and arrangement of electrons in their atoms. Thus, elements are completely distinguishable from each …
Properties of chemical elements | Britannica
All atoms of an element are identical in nuclear charge (number of protons) and number of electrons (see atomic number), but their mass (atomic weight) may differ if they have different numbers of …
Periodic table | Definition, Elements, Groups, Charges, Trends, & Facts ...
Dec 10, 2025 · There are 118 elements on the periodic table. The elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number, which is the number of protons in that atom’s nucleus. Hydrogen, the …
Aluminum | Uses, Properties, & Compounds | Britannica
Dec 3, 2025 · Aluminum, chemical element, a lightweight silvery white metal of Group 13 of the periodic table. Aluminum is the most abundant metallic element in Earth’s crust and the most widely used …
Hydrogen | Properties, Uses, & Facts | Britannica
Dec 7, 2025 · Although hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe (three times as abundant as helium, the next most widely occurring element), it makes up only about 0.14 percent of Earth’s …
Iodine | Chemical Properties, Uses, & Applications | Britannica
6 days ago · In 1813 British chemist Sir Humphry Davy, who was passing through Paris on his way to Italy, recognized substance X as an element analogous to chlorine; he suggested the name iodine …
Gold - Element, Precious Metal, Jewelry | Britannica
Nov 25, 2025 · The element’s only naturally occurring isotope is gold-197. Gold often occurs in association with copper and lead deposits, and, though the quantity present is often extremely small, …
Boron | Properties, Uses, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 28, 2025 · boron (B), chemical element, semimetal of main Group 13 (IIIa, or boron group) of the periodic table, essential to plant growth and of wide industrial application.