Elemental materials

Materials composed of atoms of a single chemical element rather than two or more elements chemically combined. They include metals, nonmetals, and metalloids in different structural forms.

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Chemical element: A pure substance defined by atoms with the same number of protons in their nuclei. An elemental material is classified by the chemical element its atoms contain.
Copper: A reddish, ductile metal and chemical element with atomic number 29. Its high electrical conductivity makes elemental copper a standard wiring material.
Metallic bonding: A form of bonding in which metal atoms share delocalized valence electrons. It explains the conductivity and malleability common in elemental metals.
Alloy: A metallic material containing multiple elements, at least one of which is a metal. Alloys modify elemental metals by introducing other elements into the material.
Chemical bonding: The interactions that hold atoms or ions together in molecules and solids. Bonding between atoms of one element shapes its material structure and properties.
Silicon: A brittle metalloid and chemical element with atomic number 14. Elemental silicon is the foundational semiconductor used in integrated circuits.
Covalent network solid: A solid whose atoms are linked by an extended network of covalent bonds. Carbon and silicon form elemental solids whose hardness and strength arise from network bonds.
Ceramic material: An inorganic, nonmetallic solid made from compounds or, less commonly, a single element. Most ceramics are compounds, though elemental forms such as diamond blur the category boundary.
Crystal structure: The ordered arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a crystalline solid. Many elemental solids differ through the ways their atoms pack into crystals.
Graphite: A crystalline form of carbon composed of layers of hexagonally arranged atoms. Its layered structure gives elemental carbon a useful combination of conductivity and softness.