Answer:Elements are pure substances made up of only one type of atom, such as iron or oxygen, while compounds are substances made up of two or more different types of atoms chemically bonded together, such as water (H2O) or carbon dioxide (CO2). One easy way to distinguish between elements and compounds is to observe their chemical formulas: elements have a single capital letter or a capital letter followed by a lowercase letter (ex. Fe for iron), while compounds have multiple elements listed in a specific ratio (ex. H2O for water). Additionally, compounds can be broken down into simpler substances through chemical reactions, while elements cannot be further broken down by ordinary chemical means.