Which metal is more resistant to wear, and elements? Steel or iron

Basically, which is overall a stonger metal to build with?

Iron is a pure element. Steel is iron with additional carbon and other alloying elements.

Mild steel is fairly soft while special grades of quenched and tempered steel are very hard.
Some steels contain alloying elements that make them resistant to corrosion.

Since I have never used pure iron I can't be sure but I suspect it is similar to mild steel.

Answer: An appropriate grade of structural steel will be stonger.

Steel has been tempered by heat and had many of the impurities of the base metals it's made from beaten out, but it still will retain some of the drawbacks of its ingredients until you manage to remove them from the equation. For example your comparison is between iron and steel, all steel has iron in it and will potentially oxidize or rust given the right conditions, i.e. moisture and heat. It isn't until one adds 10% or more of chromium that it resists oxidizing to the point it can then be called stainless steel.

So to summarize, depending on which alloy of steel you get(all will be stronger and more resistant to wear then iron)you will get different traits and properties out of it.

It depends whether you mean "cast iron" or pure iron. Cast iron actually has a rather high carbon content, which hardens it and makes it wear resistant but it also makes it brittle and unsuitable for most structural purposes. However, there are also maraging steels (with high nickel, cobalt, and molybdenum content) that are also very wear resistant.

Pure iron is soft and rarely used in engineering applications.

In terms of sheer strength and durability, I would say that steel is more resistant to wear because iron corrodes rather easily. Cast irons are an alternative option, as they are strongly resistant to deformation and wear, and have good fluidity, castability, and low melting point, although mild steels have similarly high compressive strength versus grey cast iron, which has less tensile strength and shock resistance in comparison with steel.

Your question and comment are not compatible. Iron can be more wear resistant, this due to the graphitic flakes in it and the microscopic porosity which better holds oil. Engine wear components are usually made of iron, (Cylinder sleeves, crankshafts)

Iron will rust pretty much the same as will steel.

Steel is much much stronger and tougher than Iron and can be alloyed to ensure it will not rust.

Astrobuf

Steel is lighter, not brittle, and more rust resistant.