A chemical element is a substance made up of a specific type of atom. This is as opposed to a compound which is made up of combinations of atoms joined as molecules. Usage of the words element and atoms are interchangeable. All the elements occurring in nature have been named and are given shorthand symbols to represent them. H , He , C , O , Fe , Au , and S .
Some symbols represent the name, while others stand for the Latin version of the name.
There are 92 natural elements. Number 92 is Uranium. There are also several that have been created artificially, but they disintegrate rapidly. Compounds or molecules Chemical compounds are combinations of elements. A chemical compound is a molecule .