Difference between revisions of "Most abundant elements on Earth"
From AdCiv
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!align = "left" |'''%age by volume''' | !align = "left" |'''%age by volume''' | ||
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| − | |Nitrogen ||78. | + | |Nitrogen ||78.08 |
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| − | |Oxygen ||20. | + | |Oxygen ||20.95 |
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| − | |Argon ||0. | + | |Argon ||0.93 |
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|Carbon ||less than 0.01 <!--my working (which may be highly inaccurate!): carbon is a component of carbon dioxide - which is less than 0.036% of the atmosphere. Combined atomic mass of carbon dioxide molecule (CO2) is 44 (12 + (2*16)). So CO2 is 27.3% carbon by mass -- and 27.3% of 0.036 is approx 0.01. I know we are mixing volumes and masses here, but it is only to get an estimate--> | |Carbon ||less than 0.01 <!--my working (which may be highly inaccurate!): carbon is a component of carbon dioxide - which is less than 0.036% of the atmosphere. Combined atomic mass of carbon dioxide molecule (CO2) is 44 (12 + (2*16)). So CO2 is 27.3% carbon by mass -- and 27.3% of 0.036 is approx 0.01. I know we are mixing volumes and masses here, but it is only to get an estimate--> | ||
Revision as of 22:22, 3 December 2005
Contents
Most abundant elements in Earth's crust
Approximate figures for the twenty most abundant elements in the earth's crust:
| Element | %age of crust |
| Oxygen | 46.71 |
| Silicon | 27.69 |
| Aluminum | 8.07 |
| Iron | 5.05 |
| Calcium | 3.65 |
| Sodium | 2.75 |
| Potassium | 2.58 |
| Magnesium | 2.08 |
| Titanium | 0.62 |
| Hydrogen | 0.14 |
| Phosphorus | 0.13 |
| Carbon | 0.09 |
| Manganese | 0.09 |
| Sulfur | 0.05 |
| Barium | 0.05 |
| Chlorine | 0.05 |
| Chromium | 0.04 |
Figures from http://www.science.co.il/PTelements.asp?s=Earth (figures by mass or volume?)
Figures rounded to two decimal places
Also need to have a list based on ease of extraction and energy required
Constituent elements of seawater
Approximate composition of seawater by mass:
| Element | %age by mass |
| Oxygen | 85.7 |
| Hydrogen | 10.8 |
| Chlorine | 1.9 |
| Sodium | 1.05 |
| Magnesium | 0.14 |
| Sulfur | 0.09 |
| Calcium | 0.04 |
| Potassium | 0.04 |
| Others | Trace |
figures from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawater
Need to find a definitive source for these figures
Constituent elements of air
Approximate composition of dry atmosphere by volume:
| Element | %age by volume |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen | 78.08 |
| Oxygen | 20.95 |
| Argon | 0.93 |
| Carbon | less than 0.01 |
| Others | trace |
Not included in above dry atmosphere: | |
| Water vapour | Highly variable but typically 1% |
Source: NASA
Carbon dioxide updated (to 1998) by IPCC TAR table 6.1 [1]
Edited text from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_atmosphere
