What is the result when two or more elements are chemically combined?

When two or more elements are chemically combined, the result is a compound. A compound is formed through chemical bonds where the atoms of different elements share or transfer electrons, resulting in a substance with distinct chemical and physical properties. Compounds possess fixed ratios of their constituent elements, which differentiate them from mixtures or solutions.

For example, water (H₂O) is a compound formed from two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom chemically bonded together. The properties of water are not simply those of hydrogen and oxygen but are unique to the compound itself. This process of chemical combination is characterized by changes in the electron configuration and the formation of new bond types, such as ionic or covalent bonds, depending on the elements involved.

In contrast, a solution is a homogeneous mixture where substances are dissolved but remain in their individual forms, and a mixture combines two or more substances that retain their individual properties without a chemical bond. An alloy, on the other hand, is a mixture of metals or a mixture of a metal with other elements but is typically not recognized as a chemical combination like a compound. Thus, a compound specifically refers to substances that are formed from the chemical combination of elements.