C1 Chapter 2: Elements, atoms, and compounds Question •

Progress •
Succe ed

Knowledge organiser

Atoms Molecules Compounds

Atoms are incredibly tiny particles that make up all substances. A molecule is made up of atoms all chemically bonded to Compounds:
There are 92 types of atom – one for each of the 92 elements that exist each other. • a
 re made of two or more different atoms strongly joined
naturally. Molecules can be made up from: together.
Each type of atom has different properties (e.g., size or mass). • can be broken down into other substances.
several of the same type two or more types
of atom of atoms Naming compounds
Elements
for example, oxygen gas for example, sulfur dioxide In a compound made of a metal and a non-metal, the name of the
An element: O2 SO2 metal comes first.
• cannot be broken down into other substances
for example, iron bromide, magnesium fluoride
• is made of one type of atom only.
Examples of elements include gold, potassium, carbon, and hydrogen. If the non-metal atom is oxygen, it is called oxide. If the non-metal
atom is chlorine, it is called chloride.

The names and symbols of all the elements can be found on the for example, copper oxide, sodium chloride
Periodic Table of elements.
In a compound made of a non-metal and oxygen, oxygen comes
Elements in the Different elements have different masses. So, in a molecule, the second and is called monoxide if there is one oxygen atom or
group number 0
Periodic Table are different atoms that make it up have different masses. dioxide for two oxygen atoms.
1 2 H 3 4 5 6 7 He
grouped together
Li Be B C N O F Ne For example, a molecule of water has two hydrogen atoms and for example, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide
by their properties,
Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar one oxygen atom.
which are different When atoms join together to make a compound, the compound
K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
for each element. has properties that are different to the properties of the atoms that
Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
make them up.
Chemical formulae
Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
Fr Ra Ac For example, the colours of silver compounds are very different
A chemical formula tells you how many of each atom there are in from the colours of the elements that make them up:
The chemical symbol for an element is universal – it is the same in every a molecule relative to each other. chlorine silver iodine
language, even if the name of the element is different.
(greenish yellow) (silvery) (dark grey)
Some examples of chemical symbols for common elements are:
H2O
two hydrogen atoms for every oxygen atom
hydrogen H sulfur S
MgCl2
carbon C sodium Na
two chlorine atoms for every one magnesium atom silver chloride silver iodide
oxygen O chlorine CI (white) (yellow)

nitrogen N magnesium Mg
NaOH
one sodium atom for every one oxygen atom, and every one
hydrogen atom

Key terms Make sure you can write definitions for these key terms.

atom chemical formula chemical symbol compound element molecule Periodic Table