Answer: Option (a) is the correct statement.
Explanation:
A substance that has two or more number of different atoms which are chemically combined to each other in a fixed ratio by mass is known as a compound.
For example, [tex]Ca + Cl_{2} \rightarrow CaCl_{2}[/tex]
Here, [tex]CaCl_{2}[/tex] contains one atom of calcium and two atoms of chlorine which are chemically combined together in 1:2 ratio. Therefore, it is a compound.
Also, both chemical and physical properties of [tex]CaCl_{2}[/tex] will be different from Ca and [tex]Cl_{2}[/tex].
Thus, we can conclude that the statement atoms are bonded together, and the compound has different physical and chemical properties than the individual element, is correct.
