Is Calcium An Element, Compound, or Mixture? [ANSWERED]

If you love chemistry, biology, or even just love listening to dairy commercials, you probably are familiar with the word ‘Calcium’.

And now you might be wondering, what kind of matter is it actually, right?

Is calcium an element, compound, or mixture?

Calcium (Ca) is an element with an atomic number of 20. It purely consists of a single type of atom which is calcium itself so it’s definitely neither a compound nor a mixture.

This article will talk more about calcium classification.

So keep on reading!

What Is Calcium?

Calcium is a metallic element discovered by Humphry Davy.

It’s one of the most abundant metal available on earth.

Calcium can be found in various foods especially dairy products.

Calcium is important for our body to support bone and cardiovascular health.

Is Calcium An Element or Compound?

Calcium is an element. It purely consist of a single type of atom, which is calcium itself. Calcium can be found in the periodic table with the atomic number of 20.

A matter is considered an element when it only consists of an individual type of atom without any addition. Pure calcium only consists of the calcium atom itself. It cannot be broken down into other elements. Thus, it’s classified as an element.

To be classified as a compound, a matter needs to :

• consists of two or more elements
• has chemical bond(s) between the elements
• has definite ratio of composition

Calcium doesn’t fulfill those criteria. Hence, calcium cannot be classified as compound.

Is Calcium A Mixture?

Nope, calcium is not a mixture. A mixture is formed when two or more elements or substances combine (usually physically) without a definite ratio of composition. Calcium only consists of 1 kind of atom so it’s not a mixture.

To be classified as a mixture, a matter needs to consist of two or more elements or compounds. Those elements or compounds usually has no chemical bonds and they has no definite ratio of ingredients.

Calcium is a standalone matter that doesn’t made up of various elements. It only consist of one kind of atom. So it’s definitely not a mixture.

What Is Calcium Used For?

Calcium is available in abundance. And it’s used for various purposes, such as:

• in human body, maintaining bone and cardiovascular health
• forming calcium carbonates, which is useful to make chalk, cleaning powder, and white paint
• refining lead
• purifying steel