Elements & Molecules
Elements are a type of pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances. All known elements are found on the periodic table. Some examples include oxygen (O), carbon (C), silver (Ag) and sodium (Na).
When we say elements, in its plural form, we're referring to different types of elements.
When we want to refer to occurrences of the same element, we call them molecules or atoms (ex. an oxygen molecule, a sodium atom).
Molecules are a classification of particles that contain two or more atoms.
For instance, oxygen is a diatomic molecule, meaning it exists naturally as a molecule of two atoms. It exists as O2 rather than just O.