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Chlorine is used to keep swimming pools clean using a chemical reaction.

Atoms and Elements 03

Elements are the simplest substances. In KS3 Science, you’ll discover how atoms combine to make new materials and why elements form the basis of all matter.

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Fascinating Fact:

Some elements are named after places, like francium (France) and californium (California).

In KS3 Science, students explore atoms, the building blocks of elements, and how different elements interact to form compounds, reactions, and the materials we use every day.

Key Terms

Periodic Table: A chart showing all known elements arranged by their properties.
Proton: A positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom.
Neutron: A particle with no charge found in the nucleus of an atom.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What are elements in KS3 Science?

In KS3 Science, elements are pure substances made of only one type of atom. Examples include oxygen, iron, and carbon.

How are elements named?

Elements are named after scientists, places, or their properties. For example, curium is named after Marie Curie, and hydrogen means “water former.”

Why are elements important in everyday life?

Elements are important because they make up everything we use and need, from oxygen we breathe to metals in buildings and silicon in electronics.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

When two elements combine, the name of the compound will usually end in .......

-ate

-ide

-ite

-ium

The situation is a bit more complicated when you get more than two elements chemically joined together!

2 .

C is the correct chemical symbol for .......

Calcium

Carbon

Chlorine

Cobalt

You do not need to know the symbols of all of the elements but it helps your study of science if you know a few

3 .

Which of these substances is an element?

Chlorine

Ice

Methane

Sodium chloride

The other three are compounds. A compound is made from different types of atom CHEMICALLY JOINED together. If the different types of atom are not chemically joined together, you have a mixture

4 .

The smallest part of an element is called .......

A mixture

A molecule

An atom

An ion

An atom can actually be split into smaller particles called protons, neutrons and electrons but you can't do that using chemicals

5 .

Which of these substances is an element?

Air

Fire

Oxygen

Water

Air is a mixture, fire is not an actual substance, it is just a place where something is burning and water is a compound

6 .

Which of these show a diatomic element?

H₂

SO₂

Diatomic = 2 atoms. Element = substance containing only one type of atom

7 .

An element is a substance that .......

Can be split up by physical methods

Can be split up into simpler parts by a chemical reaction

Is made up of different kinds of atom

Is made up of only one kind of atom

So if you had a sample of a substance that contained only carbon atoms, you would have a sample of the element carbon

8 .

When the elements lead and bromine combine together, the name of the substance formed is called .......

Lead bromate

Lead bromide

Lead bromite

Lead bromium

To remember: when naming a compound with two elements in it, the name of the metal comes first and the name of the non-metal is changed to end in -ide

9 .

The correct chemical symbol for magnesium is .......

If the symbol has two letters, the first is a capital and the second is not

10 .

Which of these metals is a pure element?

Brass

Bronze

Silver

Steel

The others are are all mixtures of two or more elements

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Atoms, elements and compounds

Author: Sue Davison (Chemistry Specialist & KS3 Science Teacher, Quiz Writer)