The key difference between element and molecule is that elements are pure substances that consist of only a single type of atom, and cannot be broken down by chemical means while molecules may contain two or more atoms of the same element or different elements.
Atoms are the small units which collect up to form all the existing chemical substances. Atoms can join with other atoms in various ways, and form thousands of molecules and other compounds. According to their electron donating or withdrawing abilities, they can form covalent bonds or ionic bonds. Sometimes there are very weak attractions between atoms. Both molecules and elements are made up of atoms.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is an Element
3. What is a Molecule
4. Side by Side Comparison – Element vs Molecule in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is an Element?
We are familiar with the word “element,” because we learn about them in the periodic table. There are about 118 elements in the periodic table, arranged according to their atomic number. An element is a chemical substance which consists of only a single type of atoms, hence they are pure. The smallest element is the hydrogen, and silver, gold, platinum are some of the commonly known precious elements. Each element has an atomic mass, atomic number, symbol, electronic configuration, etc. Although most elements are naturally occurring, there are some synthetic elements like Californium, Americium, Einsteinium, and Mendelevium.
All elements can be broadly categorized into three categories: metal, metalloids and non-metals. Further, they are categorized into groups and periods based on more specific characteristics. Elements in the same group or periods share certain common characteristics, and some properties may change sequentially when you go through a group or period. Elements can be subjected to chemical changes to form various compounds; however, elements cannot be further broken down by simple chemical methods. There are atoms of the same element with a different number of neutrons; these are known as isotopes of an element.
What is a Molecule?
Molecules are made up by chemically bonding two or more atoms of the same element (e.g.: O2, N2) or different elements (H2O, NH3). Molecules don’t have a charge, and the atoms are bonded by the covalent bonds. Molecules can be very large (hemoglobin) or very small (H2), depending on the number of atoms that are connected. The type and number of atoms in a molecule are shown by the molecular formula.
The simplest integer ratio of atoms present in a molecule is given by the empirical formula. For example, C6H12O6 is the molecular formula of glucose, and CH2O is the empirical formula. Molecular mass is the mass calculated considering the total number of atoms given in the molecular formula. Each molecule has its own geometry. The atoms in a molecule are arranged in the most stable manner with specific bond angle and bond lengths to minimize the repulsions and straining forces.
What is the Difference Between Element and Molecule?
Elements are pure substances that consist of only a single type of atom, and cannot be broken down by chemical means while molecules may contain two or more atoms of the same element or different elements. Thus, the key difference between element and molecule is that elements consist of only a single type of atoms while molecules may contain two or more atoms of the same element or different elements. Some examples of elements include hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sodium, copper and zinc while some examples of molecules include carbon dioxide, water, and ozone. Moreover, the properties of an element often change completely when they are part of a molecule.
Below info-graphic shows the differences between element and molecule in tabular form.
Summary – Element vs Molecule
The key difference between element and molecule is that elements consist of only a single type of atoms while molecules may contain two or more atoms of the same element or different elements. The properties of an element often change completely when they are part of a molecule.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Periodic table simple hu” By László Németh – Own work, CC0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Covalent Bonds” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia