What are Elements?
Pretend you go out to get some ice cream and there are 20 different flavors at the store. These are like elements, they’re the flavor tubs of ice cream that you use to make your dessert (or matter) with. Elements are a basic substance.
Periodic Table of Elements
Elements are the building blocks of all matter. As far as we know, there are only so many basic elements. Up to this point in time we have discovered/created over 100. While there may be more out there to discover, the basic elements remain the same. Iron (Fe) atoms found on Earth are identical to iron atoms found on meteorites. The iron atoms on Mars that make the soil red are the same too.