Here's why:

* Compounds are formed when two or more different elements chemically combine in a fixed ratio.

* Elements are the purest form of matter, meaning they cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

Think of it like this:

* A compound is like a word, made up of different letters (elements).

* An element is like a single letter, the building block of the word.

For example, water (H₂O) is a compound made up of the elements hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O).