There are three main pure forms of matter: elements, compounds, and mixtures. Elements are substances made of only one type of atom, compounds are formed when two or more elements chemically combine in definite proportions, and mixtures involve two or more substances mixed together physically. Within these categories, matter can take the form of pure substances like elements or compounds, or heterogeneous mixtures where the substances are unevenly distributed. Chemical symbols and formulas are used to represent elements and show how they combine in compounds.