What are Chemical Elements? What is an Element? You are craving sweetness, Ever tried making caramel from sugar? You may have noticed that if we heat the sugar for too long, it turns black and bitter, unlike the sweet, tasty caramel, we are used to. This is because the sugar is broken down into carbon and water vapors. Carbon cannot be broken down any further as it is an element. So what really are elements? We will discuss this today. In short, an element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down into two or more simpler substances by chemical processes. Considering the above example, do you think sugar is an element? The answer is no, because sugar can be broken down into carbon and water vapors. Water vapor isn’t an element either, as we all know that water is made by chemically combining hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen and oxygen cannot be broken any further as they are elements. Chemical Symbols of Elements Chemists use chemical symbols to represent elements. Each symbol usually consists of one or two letters that represent the name of the element. For example, hydrogen is written with a capital H, carbon with a capital C, and oxygen with a capital O. And so on. Some other elements need to be named using two letters. For example, iron is denoted as Fe, mercury as Hg, and Calcium as Ca, as just C is written for… Do you remember? Yes, it’s carbon. Classifying Elements Elements can be classified in many ways. It can be based on the number of electrons in their outer shells, or the similarity of their properties. Today, we will learn the metallic and non metallic properties, and the in between, metalloids. Metals Most metals are solid at room temperature, some are also liquids, for example mercury. However, none of the metals is found in gaseous state at room temperature. Most metals have a shiny appearance, high melting point, and high heat conductivity, are ductile, meaning that they can be drawn into wires. They are malleable, meaning that they can be hammered into different shapes without breaking, and are sonorous, making ringing sounds when struck. Metals are also excellent electrical conductors. That is the reason they are often used in the transmission of electricity, from the power stations to end users. Metalloids Metalloids are those substances that have both metallic and non-metallic properties. They have a shiny appearance, all of them are solids. They are brittle; break when hammered, and have a high melting point. They are also moderate electricity and heat conductors, not that good nor very bad. Silicon is an example of a member of this group. Non-Metals Non-metals have a dull, non-lustrous appearance. Non-metals are diverse. At room temperature, they are found in all three physical states; solids, liquids and gases. Carbon and sulphur are solid non-metals, whereas, bromide is a liquid, and helium and oxygen are gases at room temperature. Non-metals have low melting and boiling points, apart from carbon. They also are poor electrical and heat conductors, other than a few exceptions, and are brittle in solid state.