Classifying what we see around us every day is easier once you know how! Here’s a simple way to understand it:

Elements

• What it is: Pure substances made of just one kind of atom.
• Examples: Oxygen (like what we breathe), Gold (the shiny metal), and Hydrogen (a gas).
• Key Point: They can’t be broken down into simpler parts.

Compounds

• What it is: Substances that are formed when two or more elements join together in a special way.
• Examples: Water (H₂O), Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) that we exhale, and Sodium Chloride (table salt).
• Key Point: They have specific combos of elements and can be split into their parts through chemical reactions.

Mixtures

• What it is: These are physical mixes of two or more substances.
• Examples: Air (that we breathe), Salad (a mix of veggies), and Oil and Water (they don’t mix well).
• Key Point: They can be separated easily and don’t have a fixed combination.

Just think about what something is made of and whether you can take it apart. That’s all there is to it!