Is carbon oxygen a compound or element?

Answer 1

Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are molecular compounds containing the elements carbon and oxygen. There is no compound named carbon oxygen.

Added:

1. Carbon is an element, atomic symbol C.
2. Oxygen is an element, di-atomic molecule with symbol O2.
3. Carbon dioxide is a compound with molecular formula CO2, where the two elements (C and O2) are bonded together.
4. Carbon monoxide is a compound, (very different from carbon dioxide), with molecular formula CO, where the two elements (C and O2) are bonded together in a different way.

Answer 2

Carbon dioxide is a compound made of carbon and oxygen atoms. Carbon on its own is an element, while oxygen is also an element. When they are chemically bonded together in a specific ratio, they form a compound.