Final answer:
Elements consist of one type of atom, while compounds consist of two or more different types of atoms chemically bonded together. Compounds have fixed ratios of their constituent elements and have different properties from those elements. Both are made up of atoms bonded together and can participate in chemical reactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
An element and a compound differ in their fundamental composition and structure. An element is made up of atoms, which are the smallest quantity of the element that retains its unique properties. For example, an atom of hydrogen represents one of the about 115 known elements and cannot be broken down into a simpler substance.
On the other hand, a compound consists of atoms of two or more different elements that are combined in a fixed, small, whole-number ratio, forming molecules of the compound. For instance, water (H2O) is a compound made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom bonded together.
While elements have a fixed composition of identical atoms, compounds can vary, as they consist of different types of atoms chemically bonded in specific ratios. This gives them distinct physical and chemical properties from their constituent elements.
However, elements and compounds are similar in that they are both made up of atoms, the basic units of matter, that are chemically bonded. An example to illustrate a compound is glucose, a vital source of energy composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, always in the same relative amounts: six carbon and six oxygen atoms for every twelve hydrogen atoms.
Another important point is that compounds have different properties from the elements that compose them, and these properties are definite, distinguishing one compound from another among the tens of millions that exist. Both elements and compounds participate in chemical reactions, where the bonds between atoms are broken or formed to create new substances.