Chemical Elements
Chemical Elements
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A chemical element is a species of atom having a given number of protons in its atomic nucleus, known as its atomic number. There are 118 elements that have been identified, of which the first 94 occur naturally on Earth, with the remaining 24 being synthetic elements produced in nuclear reactors or particle accelerators. Elements are the fundamental building blocks of all substances, and 80 of them have at least one stable isotope while the rest are inherently radioactive. Elements are organized in the periodic table, arranged by increasing atomic number, which reveals recurring chemical properties and forms the basis of modern chemistry. Roughly 32 elements do not occur naturally on Earth and are purely synthetic, produced through nuclear reactions. Elements can combine to form compounds, and their interactions are governed by the arrangement of electrons in their outer shells, which determines bonding behavior, reactivity, and the countless materials that make up the physical world, from the air we breathe to the metals used in construction and technology.