Element or compound?

Question

How can u tell if a substance X is an element or compound if someone just gave u a sample of it in a lab but didn't give u it's formula?

Answer 1

Test for its reactivity =D

Answer 2

element- pure substance/atom

compound- two or more substances/atoms

look into a microscope. if its a element it will be just one of the same atoms, if a compound you will see a mixture of atoms/substances.  

Answer 3

color

density

volume

Answer 4

have to test things like what its reactant to and what it reacts to ... if its electric conduct thingy or not ... get what i mean ?  

Answer 5

Basically as u may already noe, an element  is a substance that is made entirely from one type of atom.  And a compound is is a molecule that contains at least two different elements. So basically, you can test the samples and see if they match with the properties of elements or compounds, or you can identify them. Elements are just things in the periodic table e.g. iron, sodium and is just a substance made out of one atom and a compound is when two of the elements mix.