Use the example of silver oxide to explain how the properties of compounds are similar, or not, to the elements they are made of.

Silver oxide is a compound that is formed when silver (Ag) reacts with oxygen (O). The properties of silver oxide are quite different from the properties of the elements that make it up.

1. Physical Properties: Silver is a shiny, ductile and malleable metal that is very good at conducting electricity and heat. Oxygen, on the other hand, is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. However, when they combine to form silver oxide (Ag2O), the resulting compound is a dark-brown or black solid that is neither malleable nor ductile, and it does not conduct electricity or heat as well as silver.

2. Chemical Properties: Silver is a relatively inert metal that does not react with oxygen under normal conditions. Oxygen is a highly reactive non-metal that readily forms compounds with most elements. However, silver oxide is a compound that readily decomposes to its elements when heated. This is a chemical property that is quite different from either silver or oxygen.

3. Reactivity: Silver does not react with many substances. It doesn't even react with oxygen at room temperature. Oxygen, on the other hand, is very reactive and forms oxides with almost all elements. Silver oxide, however, reacts with many substances including acids and bases.

In conclusion, the properties of a compound like silver oxide are quite different from the properties of the elements that make it up. This is because when elements combine to form compounds, they do so by forming chemical bonds that alter their individual properties.