Elementas

Elementas is a term used in several languages, notably Lithuanian, to denote an element or component. In scientific contexts it often refers to a chemical element, the fundamental substance that cannot be decomposed into a simpler substance by ordinary chemical reactions. The term also appears in mathematics and computer science as the name for a member of a set or collection.

A chemical element is characterized by its atomic number, the number of protons in its nucleus. Elements are the basic building blocks of matter and are organized in the periodic table in order of increasing atomic number and according to recurring chemical properties. Most elements exist as atoms; some, such as nitrogen, oxygen, and the halogens, form diatomic molecules in their standard state. Elements can be naturally occurring or synthetic, and they range from highly reactive to inert. They form compounds when they combine with other elements, while retaining their identities in chemical reactions.

Etymology: The word elementas derives from Latin elementum, from Greek origins, and is shared by several European languages in their terms for element. In everyday usage, elementas can indicate a basic part or component of a larger system, device, or concept.

Beyond chemistry, "elementas" is used to refer to a member of a mathematical set, a data item in a collection, or a fundamental aspect of an idea or process. In these contexts, it retains the sense of a discrete, identifiable unit that contributes to a whole.