A substance that is composed of a single type of atoms . The definitive list of the elements is the Periodic Chart. The formula of an element is the symbol of the element. Some elements can appear in a variety of solid states. These different solid states are referred to as allotropes .
Allotropes are different crystal structures for a specific type of element.
For instance, diamonds and graphite are different crystal structures of carbon, or allotropes of carbon. The elements can not be subdivided to any substance smaller than themselves using normal chemical procedures. A sample of an element can be reduced down to smaller components, such as protons, electrons, and neutrons, by using the extraordinary processes of nuclear chemistry. This will destroy the element, however. Most elements are not written with chemical formulas.