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An '''element''' is a chemical compound defined by the number of [[protons]] in it's [[nucleus]].<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref>

An '''element''' is a single type of [[atom]] as defined by its [[atomic number]], which is the number of [[protons]] in its [[nucleus]].<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Physical Science''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1999, 2000</ref> In contrast, a single element may have varying [[mass number]]s, relating to the number of neutrons in its nucleus.

Musician-satirist Tom Lehrer wrote a song which includes the names of every element known at the time the song was written. Because they are in no particular order, the song is of no particular use to chemistry students, but some of them learn it for fun anyway. It is sung to a tune by Gilbert and Sullivan, replacing Gilbert's lyrics. It opens:

The element [[hydrogen]] has only one proton whereas the element [[uranium]] has 92, and there are elements with even more protons than that. However, uranium is the largest naturally occurring element in nature.

:There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium,

All known elements are listed on the [[periodic table]], with the ones with more protons than uranium produced in a laboratory. Joining atoms of the same or different elements produces chemical [[compound]]s. The elements and their compounds make up all matter on the earth and quite possibly all matter outside of the earth as well.

:And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium,

 

:These are the only ones of which the news has come to Ha'vard,

*[[Periodic table of the elements]]

==References==

==References==

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