- Elements are pure substances that cannot be broken down further without losing their identity, and there are currently 118 known elements, with 88 occurring naturally.
- In the universe, hydrogen makes up 75% and helium 20%, while on Earth oxygen is the most abundant element in the crust at 46.6% and silicon is second most at 27.7%.
- Compounds are pure substances made of two or more chemically bonded elements, with properties different from the individual elements, and can be represented by chemical formulas showing the elements and their ratios.