EL′EMENTS

Syn. Elementary bodies , Simple b. ; Element a , L. In chemistry , those substances or bodies which have hitherto resisted every attempt which has been made to decompose them, or to resolve them into simpler forms of matter. Earth, air, fire, and water, were regarded by the ancients as simple bodies, of which all others are composed, and they still constitute the ‘four elements’ of the vulgar. The imaginary principles or elements of the alchemists were termed salt, sulphur, and mercury. About sixty-four different kinds of matter are at present recognised as elementary bodies. They are substances having the most diverse characters. The great majority exist in the solid state; bromide and mercury are liquid; while oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and chlorine, are gaseous. About four fifths of the elements are metallic, as instanced by gold, silver, copper, iron, .; the remainder are non-metallic, as instanced by carbon, sulphur, phosphorus, . A list of the known elements is given under the head of Atomic Weights (which see ).