For example, the element sodium is made up of only sodium atoms. Chemical Element. Elements are listed according to their atomic number on the Periodic Table. Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Sometimes foreign elements are trapped inside crystal structure of compounds giving them a non homogeneous structure. This picture shows the differences between elements and compounds at an atomic level. Electrons surrounding the nucleus have almost no mass and a negative electric charge. The answer is chemical bonds. An atom is composed of my subatomic particles. At the most basic level, all the three are composed of atoms. Elements and compounds are the two forms in which pure substances exist. A compound on the other hand is made of multiple types of … Structure of an Atom.