Question

explain how the total number of atoms are different from the total number of elements in a compound.

Explanation:

An element is a pure substance consisting of only one type of atom. For example, oxygen (\(O\)) is an element made up of oxygen atoms. A compound is a substance formed when two or more elements chemically combine. For instance, water (\(H_2O\)) is a compound. In \(H_2O\), there are 2 elements (\(H\) and \(O\)). But the total number of atoms is \(2\) (from \(H\)) \(+ 1\) (from \(O\)) \(=3\) atoms. So, elements are types of atoms (based on proton number), and the number of atoms in a compound is the sum of all atoms (counting each atom of each element) present in its formula, while the number of elements is the count of different types of atoms (based on their identity) in the compound.

Answer:

The number of elements in a compound is the count of different types of atoms (based on their proton - number/identity). The total number of atoms in a compound is the sum of all individual atoms (counting each atom, regardless of type, based on the sub - scripts in the chemical formula).