Question

select all the correct answers.
a student is trying to distinguish elements from compounds. if a substance is an element, what else must be true about it?

• it can be found on the periodic table.
• it is a gas at room temperature.
• it can be separated into different components.
• it has a definite shape and volume.
• it is made of only one type of atom.

Explanation:

• For "It can be found on the periodic table": Elements are the building blocks listed on the periodic table, so this is correct.
• For "It is a gas at room temperature": Elements can be solid, liquid, or gas (e.g., iron is solid, mercury is liquid, oxygen is gas), so this is incorrect.
• For "It can be separated into different components": Elements are pure substances and cannot be separated into simpler substances by chemical means, so this is incorrect.
• For "It has a definite shape and volume": Only solids have definite shape and volume; elements can be liquid or gas too, so this is incorrect.
• For "It is made of only one type of atom": By definition, an element is a pure substance consisting of only one type of atom, so this is correct.

Answer:

A. It can be found on the periodic table
E. It is made of only one type of atom