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Chemical element

Definition

A chemical element is a species of atom defined by its number of protons. The number of protons is called the atomic number of that element. For example, oxygen has an atomic number of 8: each oxygen atom has 8 protons in its nucleus. Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons in their nuclei, known as isotopes of the element. Atoms of one element can be transformed into atoms of a different element in nuclear reactions, which change an atom's atomic number. Almost all baryonic matter in the universe is composed of elements.

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matter Berkelium Beryllium Beryllium-9 Beta decay Big Bang Big Bang nucleosynthesis Biochemistry Biocoenosis Biodiversity Biogeochemical cycle Biogeochemistry Bioinorganic chemistry Biological interaction Biological organisation Biological roles of the elements Biological system Biology Biomass Biome Bioorganic chemistry Bioorganometallic chemistry Bioorthogonal chemistry Biophysical chemistry Biosphere Biosynthesis Bismuth Bismuth-209 Block (periodic table)Bohrium Boiling point Boiling points of the elements (data page)Boron Boron group Breathing Bromine Butterworth-Heinemann CHNOPS Cadmium Caesium Calcium Calculus Californium Caloric theory Calorimetry Carbochemistry Carbohydrate Carbohydrate chemistry Carbon Carbon-12 Carbon-13 Carbon-14 Carbon dioxide Carbon group Carbon nanotube Catalysis Cation Cell (biology)Cell biology Cell cycle Cell signaling Cell theory Cellular respiration Celsius Ceramic chemistry Ceramic engineering Cerium Chalcogen Characterization (materials science)Charge distribution Chemical biology Chemical bond Chemical compound Chemical database Chemical elements in East Asian languages Chemical engineering Chemical kinetics Chemical nomenclature Chemical physics Chemical property Chemical reaction Chemical species Chemical stability Chemical structure Chemical substance Chemical symbol Chemical synthesis Chemical thermodynamics Chemically inert Chemistry Chemistry education Chlorine Chlorophyll Chromatography Chromium Chronology of the universe Circulatory system Clandestine chemistry Classical element Clay chemistry Click chemistry Climate Climate change Clinical chemistry Close-packing of equal spheres Cloud Cluster decay Cobalt Coinage metals Combinatorial chemistry Common name Community (ecology)Composition of the human body Computational chemistry Conservation biology Coordination complex Copernicium Copper Cosmic ray Cosmic ray spallation Cosmochemistry Cosmogenic Covalent bond Critical points of the elements (data page)Cryochemistry Crystal polymorphism Crystal structure Crystallography Cube Cubic crystal system Curium D-block DNA Dalton (unit)Dark energy Dark matter Darmstadtium Decay product Densities of the elements (data page)Density Deuterium Developmental biology Diamond Diatomic molecule Dietary element Discovery of chemical elements Dividing line between metals and nonmetals Dmitri Mendeleev Dubna Dubnium Dynamic covalent chemistry Dysprosium Earliest known life forms Earth Earth (classical element)Earth science Ecological niche Ecology Ecosystem Ecosystem ecology Einsteinium Elastic properties of the elements (data page)Electric charge Electrical conductance Electrical resistivities of the elements (data page)Electricity Electroanalytical methods Electrochemistry Electron Electron affinity Electron affinity (data page)Electron configuration Electron configurations of the elements (data page)Electron ionization Electron pair Electron shell Electron subshell Electronegativities of the elements (data page)Electronegativity Electrophile Element collecting Element naming controversy Elemental analysis Emergence Empedocles Enantioselective synthesis Endocrine system Energy Energy level Energy state Engineering Environmental chemistry Environmental health Enzyme Epidermis (botany)Epigenetics Equilibrium chemistry Erbium Eukaryote European Nuclear Society European Physical Journal A Europium Evolution Evolutionary developmental biology Exotic atom Extended periodic table F-block Fauna Femtochemistry Fermentation Fermium Fictional element Field (physics)Fire (classical element)Flerovium Flora Flower Fluorine Food chemistry Food physical chemistry Forensic chemistry Forensic toxicology Francium Free element Fullerene Fullerene chemistry Function (biology)Fungus Future of Earth Gadolinium Gaia hypothesis Galactic spheroid Galactic superwind Gallium Gas Gas chromatography Gene expression Gene flow General chemistry Genetic drift Genetics Genome Geochemistry Geological history of Earth Geology George Wallerstein Germanium Glenn T. Seaborg Glossary of chemical formulae Gold Goldschmidt classification Graphene Graphite Green chemistry Ground state Ground tissue Group (periodic table)Group 10 element Group 11 element Group 12 element Group 3 element Group 4 element Group 5 element Group 6 element Group 7 element Group 8 element Group 9 element Habitat Hafnium Half-life Halogen Hardnesses of the elements (data page)Hassium Heat capacities of the elements (data page)Heats of fusion of the elements (data page)Heats of vaporization of the elements (data page)Heavy metal element Heavy water Helium Hemoglobin Hennig Brand Henri Becquerel Henry Moseley Hexagonal crystal system High-performance liquid chromatography History of Earth History of biology History of chemistry History of life History of the periodic table Holmium Homeostasis Homonuclear molecule Human digestive system Hydrogen IUPAC/IUPAP Joint Working Party IUPAC books Icosahedron Immune system Index of biology articles Indium Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry Industry (manufacturing)Infrared spectroscopy Inorganic chemistry Instrumental chemistry Interdisciplinarity Interface and colloid science Intergalactic space Internal environment Internal structure of Earth International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Introduction to evolution Introduction to genetics Inverse beta decay Iodine Ion Ionization Ionization energies of the elements (data page)Iridium Iron Iron-52 Iron group Iron peak Isaac Watts Island of stability Isotope Isotopes of actinium Isotopes of aluminium Isotopes of americium Isotopes of antimony Isotopes of argon Isotopes of arsenic Isotopes of astatine Isotopes of barium Isotopes of berkelium Isotopes of beryllium Isotopes of bismuth Isotopes of bohrium Isotopes of boron Isotopes of bromine Isotopes of cadmium Isotopes of caesium Isotopes of calcium Isotopes of californium Isotopes of carbon Isotopes of cerium Isotopes of chlorine Isotopes of chromium Isotopes of cobalt Isotopes of copernicium Isotopes of copper Isotopes of curium Isotopes of darmstadtium Isotopes of dubnium Isotopes of dysprosium Isotopes of einsteinium Isotopes of erbium Isotopes of europium Isotopes of fermium Isotopes of flerovium Isotopes of fluorine Isotopes of francium Isotopes of gadolinium Isotopes of gallium Isotopes of germanium Isotopes of gold Isotopes of hafnium Isotopes of hassium Isotopes of helium Isotopes of holmium Isotopes of hydrogen Isotopes of indium Isotopes of iodine Isotopes of iridium Isotopes of iron Isotopes of krypton Isotopes of lanthanum Isotopes of lawrencium Isotopes of lead Isotopes of lithium Isotopes of livermorium Isotopes of lutetium Isotopes of magnesium Isotopes of manganese Isotopes of meitnerium Isotopes of mendelevium Isotopes of mercury Isotopes of molybdenum Isotopes of moscovium Isotopes of neodymium Isotopes of neon Isotopes of neptunium Isotopes of nickel Isotopes of nihonium Isotopes of niobium Isotopes of nitrogen Isotopes of nobelium Isotopes of oganesson Isotopes of osmium Isotopes of oxygen Isotopes of palladium Isotopes of phosphorus Isotopes of platinum Isotopes of plutonium Isotopes of polonium Isotopes of potassium Isotopes of praseodymium Isotopes of promethium Isotopes of protactinium Isotopes of radium Isotopes of radon Isotopes of rhenium Isotopes of rhodium Isotopes of roentgenium Isotopes of rubidium Isotopes of ruthenium Isotopes of rutherfordium Isotopes of samarium Isotopes of scandium Isotopes of seaborgium Isotopes of selenium Isotopes of silicon Isotopes of silver Isotopes of sodium Isotopes of strontium Isotopes of sulfur Isotopes of tantalum Isotopes of technetium Isotopes of tellurium Isotopes of tennessine Isotopes of terbium Isotopes of thallium Isotopes of thorium Isotopes of thulium Isotopes of tin Isotopes of titanium Isotopes of tungsten Isotopes of unbinilium Isotopes of ununennium Isotopes of uranium Isotopes of vanadium Isotopes of xenon Isotopes of ytterbium Isotopes of yttrium Isotopes of zinc Isotopes of zirconium John Dalton John Murrell (chemist)Joint Institute for Nuclear Research Jöns Jacob Berzelius Kelvin Ken Croswell Kinetic isotope effect Krypton Lanthanide Lanthanum Latin Latin alphabet Lawrencium Lead Leaf Life Ligand Light Light metal Lingua franca Lipid Liquid List of aqueous ions by element List of biology journals List of biomolecules List of chemical element name etymologies List of chemical element naming controversies List of chemical elements List of chemical elements named after people List of chemical elements named after places List of elements by atomic properties List of elements by stability of isotopes List of inorganic compounds List of nuclides Lists of metalloids Lithium Livermorium Logick Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Angeles Pierce College Lutetium Macroevolution Magic number (physics)Magnesium Magnetochemistry Main-group element Major actinide Manganese Marguerite Perey Mary Elvira Weeks Mass deficit Mass density Mass number Mass spectrometry Mass–energy equivalence Materials science Mathematical chemistry Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Matter Mechanical philosophy Mechanochemistry Medicinal chemistry Medicine Meiosis Meitnerium Melting point Melting points of the elements (data page)Mendeleev Mendeleev's predicted elements Mendelevium Mendelian inheritance Mercury (element)Metabolism Metal Metallic hydrogen Metalloid Metallurgy Metals of antiquity Meteorology Microbiome Microevolution Micromeritics Microwave chemistry Mineral (nutrient)Minor actinide Mitosis Mixture Modern era Molar ionization energies of the elements Molecular biology Molecular dynamics Molecular geometry Molecular mechanics Molecular modelling Molecular physics Molecule Mollusc shell Molybdenum Monoclinic crystal system Monoisotopic element Monomer Monotonic function Moonlight Moscovium Muscular system Mutation NASA Names for sets of chemical elements Naming of chemical elements Nanochemistry Native element mineral Native metal Natural environment Natural number Natural selection Nature Nature-based solutions Neo-Latin Neodymium Neon Neptunium Nervous system Neurochemistry Neutrino Neutron Neutron capture Neutron star Neutron star merger Neutron–proton ratio New World Nickel Nihonium Niobium Nitrogen Nobel Prize in Chemistry Nobelium Noble gas Noble metal Nonmetal Nuclear binding energy Nuclear chemistry Nuclear fission Nuclear fusion Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy Nuclear physics Nuclear reaction Nuclear transmutation Nucleic acid Nucleogenic Nucleon Nucleophile Nucleosynthesis Nuclide Nuclide chart Nuclides Nutrition Observationally stable Ocean Ocean chemistry Octahedron Oddo–Harkins rule Oganesson Organ (biology)Organelle Organic chemistry Organic compound Organic reactions Organic synthesis Organism Organolanthanide chemistry Organometallic chemistry Orthorhombic crystal system Osmium Outline of biology Oxidation state Oxoanion Oxygen P-block PH Pairing effect Palladium Paracelsus Particle Peer review Period (periodic table)Period 1 element Period 2 element Period 3 element Period 4 element Period 5 element Period 6 element Period 7 element Period 8 element Periodic systems of small molecules Periodic table Periodic table (crystal structure)Periodic table (electron configurations)Periodic trends Petrochemistry Pharmacology Phase diagram Phase transition Phloem Phosphorus Photochemistry Photoelectrochemistry Photogeochemistry Photosynthesis Phylogenetics Physical Review C Physical chemistry Physical organic chemistry Physical property Physics Planetary differentiation Planetary nebulae Plant Plant stem Plate tectonics Platinum Platinum group Plato Plutonium Pnictogen Polar effect Polonium Polymer Polymer chemistry Polymer science Population (biology)Population ecology Post-mortem chemistry Post-transcriptional modification Post-transition metal Potassium Potassium-40 Praseodymium Precious metal Prices of chemical elements Primordial nuclide Principal quantum number Principle (chemistry)Prokaryote Promethium Proper noun Properties of metals, metalloids and nonmetals Protactinium Protein Protist Protium Proton Przybylski's star Public domain Pure and Applied Chemistry Quantization (physics)Quantum biology Quantum chemistry Quantum mechanics R-process Radiation Radiation chemistry Radical (chemistry)Radioactive Radioactive decay Radiochemistry Radiogenic nuclide Radionuclide Radium Radon Rain Raman spectroscopy Rare-earth element Rare-earth elements Rare gas Ratio Reactive nonmetal Red blood cell Reductionism Refractory Refractory metals Regular polyhedron Regulation of gene expression Relative atomic mass Reproduction Reproductive system Residual strong force Resource (biology)Respiratory system Retrosynthetic analysis Reviews of Modern Physics Rhenium Rhodium Robert Boyle Roentgenium Roles of chemical elements Root Rubidium Ruthenium Rutherfordium S-block S-process Samarium Scandium Science Scientific law Scientific method Scientific theory Seaborgium Seawater Selenium Self-replication Semiconductor Semisynthesis Separation process Shoot (botany)Sievert Silicon Silver Snow Society Sodium Soil chemistry Solar System Solid Solid-state chemistry Sonochemistry Space Speciation Spectroelectrochemistry Spectroscopy Speeds of sound of the elements Spin (physics)Spin chemistry Spontaneous fission Stable isotope Stable isotope ratio Stable nuclide Standard atomic weight Standard enthalpy of formation Standard state Standard temperature and pressure Standing wave State of matter Stellar chemistry Stellar core Stellar evolution Stereochemistry Stimulus (physiology)Stoichiometry Strong nuclear force Strontium Structural chemistry Structure Sulfur Sunlight Superheavy element Supernova Supernova nucleosynthesis Supramolecular chemistry Surface science Synthetic element Systematic element name Table of chemical elements Table of nuclides Tantalum Tantalum-180 Taxonomic rank Taxonomy (biology)Technetium Tellurium Tellurium-128 Tennessine Terbium Term symbol Tetragonal crystal system Tetrahedron Thallium The New York Times The Sceptical Chymist The central science Theoretical chemistry Theory of Forms Thermal conductivities of the elements (data page)Thermal conductivity and resistivity Thermal expansivities of the elements Thermochemistry Thomas J. Ahrens Thorium Thulium Tide Timaeus (dialogue)Time Timeline of biology and organic chemistry Timeline of chemical element discoveries Timeline of chemistry Tin Tissue (biology)Titanium Titration Tornado Total synthesis Trace radioisotope Traité Élémentaire de Chimie Transition metal Transplutonium element Transuranic Transuranium element Triclinic crystal system Trigonal crystal system Tritium Trivial name Tropical cyclone Tungsten Types of periodic tables Tyrosine UCLA Ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy Unbinilium Universe Ununennium Uranium Uranium-235 VSEPR theory Valence (chemistry)Valence electrons Vanadium Vapor pressures of the elements (data page)Vascular plant Vascular tissue Vertebrate Virus Visible universe Volatility (chemistry)WMAP Water Water (classical element)Wave–particle duality Weather Wet chemistry White dwarf White phosphorus Wilderness Wildfire Wind Xenon Xylem Ytterbium Yttrium Zinc Zirconium

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