Firstly, what are elements? Element comes from the latin word elementum which means principle, rudimentary. Element thus implies something basic. In chemistry, any substance than cannot be broken down into further simpler things is an element.
Some element components of substances:
Water: Hydrogen, oxygen
Ammonia: Nitrogen, hydrogen
Fructose: Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
Deoxyribosenucleic Acid: Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): Carbon, hydrogen, chloride
Fat: Hydrogen, carbon, oxygen
Paracetamol (Panadol): Carbon, hydrogen, nitric oxide (a compound of nitrogen and oxygen)
Chlorophyll: Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, magnesium
Protein: Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, R group elements (polypetide amino acids)
In the human body, there are usually:
Oxygen from air and water
Carbon from carbohydrates and as a byproduct of cellular respiration
Nitrogen from the air, cured meats and plants
Calcium from milk, fish, vegetables
Phosphorus from food like red meat and poultry, dried milk, dairy products, bran, seeds
Iron from red meat
Magnesium from vegetable and whole grains
Potassium from leafy vegetables and beans
Zinc from seafood
Different elements were found at different times. (13 in the antiquity to middle ages, 21 in the middle ages etc)
Some of the elements took longer to discover as they either too unstable to be isolated as a single element, had limited uses at the time, or were rare (e.g. francium).
Metals are elements with metallic properties, properties such as:
Good electrical conductivity (for solids)
Shiny
Strong
Hard
Malleable (can be bent)
Ductile (can be streched)
Good heat conductivity
All the elements on the periodic table are metals except:
Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, neon, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, argon, selenium, bromine. krypton, iodine, xenon, radon
*GENERAL NOTE: SOME OF THESE POSTS MAY NOT BE CONCLUSIVE AS THE REST IS CONTINUED ON THE NEXT WEEK
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