L'élément chimique dans les écrits et dans les esprits contemporains.
Résumé
The notion of chemical element is of primary importance in chemistry teaching. However its definition may be connected with different approaches: metaphysical, operative or resulting from the atomic theory. A survey of these definitions in encyclopaedias and scholar books is presented. Comparisons are performed between countries and periods. Moreover, the results of a questionnaire concerning these definitions and answered by students are analysed.