Origin of the Earth and Oceans Flashcards
Primary elements composing Earth
Iron (Fe)
Oxygen (O)
Silicon (Si)
Magnesium (Mg)
Primary elements composing the sun
Hydrogen (H)
Helium (He)
Secondary elements composing Earth
Nickel (Ni)
Calcium (Ca)
Sulfur (S)
Aluminum (Al)
Primary elements composing the oceans
Oxygen (O)
Hydrogen (H)
Secondary elements composing oceans
Chlorine (Cl) Sodium (Na) Magnesium (Mg) Sulfur (S) Calcium (Ca) Potassium (K)
Primary elements composing the atmosphere
Nitrogen (N)
Oxygen (O)
Secondary elements composing the atmosphere
Argon (Ar)
Hydrogen and oxygen (H20)
Carbon and oxygen (CO2)
Primary elements composing life
Hydrogen and oxygen (H2O)
Carbon (C)
Secondary elements composing life
Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Chemical differentiation
Large-scale separation of chemical elements on the basis if their physical and chemical properties by a variety of processes
Solar system
1) Sun
2) Inner rocky planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, asteroid belt)
3) Outer gas-giants (Jupiter, Saturn)
4) Outer ice-giants (Uranus, Neptune)
Earth: basic composition
1) Core of iron
2) Mantle and crust of rock
3) Oceans
4) Atmosphere
Bulk elemental composition of Earth (percent by mass)
Iron (Fe) 32.0 wt% Oxygen (O) 29.7 wt% Silicon (Si) 16.1 wt% Magnesium (Mg) 15.4 wt% Nickel (Ni) 1.8 wt% Calcium (Ca) 1.7 wt% Aluminum (Al) 1.6 wt% Sulfur (S) 0.6 wt%
The eight most abundant elements on Earth account for what percent of its total mass?
99%
Bulk elemental composition of the sun (percent by mass)
Hydrogen (H) 75 wt%
Helium (He) 23 wt%
What is Earth’s main fuel source today?
Hydrogen (in its hydrogen-burning stage)
First stage of solar system formation
1) A nebula contracts under gravity. As it contracts, the nebula heats, flattens, and spins faster, becoming a spinning disk of dust and gas.
2) Star born at the center
3) Planets form in the disk
Secondary stage of solar system formation
1) H and He remain gaseous but other materials can condense into solid “seeds” for building planets
2) Warm temperatures (inner disk) allow only metal/rock “seeds” to condense in the inner solar system
3) Cold temperatures (outer disk) allow “seeds” to contain abundant ice in the outer solar system
Third stage of solar system formation
1) Solid “seeds” collide and stick together. Larger ones attract others with their gravity, growing bigger still
2) Terrestrial planets are built from metal and rock (inner disk)
3) The seeds if gas giants grow large enough to attract H and He gas, making them into giant, mostly gaseous planets (outer disk); moons form in disks of dust and has that surround the planets
Fate of our sun
Will shine for ~5 billion more years. After it burns through its H, it will begin burning He, creating heavier elements (C and O) becoming a Red Giant. Will eventually cool and contract becoming a white dwarf.
Volatile elements/compounds
Those elements/compounds that tend to form gases, even at relatively now temperatures.
Enriched in the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)
Examples of volatile elements
Hydrogen (H) Helium (He) Oxygen (O) Nitrogen (N) Neon (Ne) Argon (Ar) Krypton (Kr) Xenon (Xe) Radon (Rn)
Examples of volatile compounds
Water (H2O)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Ammonia (NH3)
Refractory elements
Elements that tend to form solids, even at relatively high temperature.
Enriched in the rocky, or terrestrial, planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars)
Examples if refractory elements
Calcium (Ca) Aluminum (Al) Titanium (Ti) Iron (Fe) Nickel (Ni) Cobalt (Co) Silicon (Si)
