Here are the key points about compounds from the passage:
- A compound is a pure substance composed of two or more elements that are chemically combined.
- For elements to combine and form a compound, they must undergo a chemical change and react with one another.
- Compounds form when elements combine in a definite mass ratio. Every sample of a compound has the same ratio of elements.
- Each compound has a unique set of properties that allows it to be distinguished from other compounds and elements.
- Compounds have different properties from the elements that form them due to the new chemical bonds between the elements.
- Some compounds can be broken down into simpler substances through additional chemical changes.