Origin of the Earth and Oceans

Question 0

Primary elements composing Earth

Answer 0

Iron (Fe)
Oxygen (O)
Silicon (Si)
Magnesium (Mg)

Question 1

Primary elements composing the sun

Answer 1

Hydrogen (H)

Helium (He)

Question 2

Secondary elements composing Earth

Answer 2

Nickel (Ni)
Calcium (Ca)
Sulfur (S)
Aluminum (Al)

Question 3

Primary elements composing the oceans

Answer 3

Oxygen (O)

Hydrogen (H)

Question 4

Secondary elements composing oceans

Answer 4

Chlorine (Cl)
Sodium (Na)
Magnesium (Mg)
Sulfur (S)
Calcium (Ca)
Potassium (K)

Question 5

Primary elements composing the atmosphere

Answer 5

Nitrogen (N)

Oxygen (O)

Question 6

Secondary elements composing the atmosphere

Answer 6

Argon (Ar)
Hydrogen and oxygen (H20)
Carbon and oxygen (CO2)

Question 7

Primary elements composing life

Answer 7

Hydrogen and oxygen (H2O)

Carbon (C)

Question 8

Secondary elements composing life

Answer 8

Nitrogen (N)

Phosphorus (P)

Question 9

Chemical differentiation

Answer 9

Large-scale separation of chemical elements on the basis if their physical and chemical properties by a variety of processes

Question 10

Solar system

Answer 10

1) Sun
2) Inner rocky planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, asteroid belt)
3) Outer gas-giants (Jupiter, Saturn)
4) Outer ice-giants (Uranus, Neptune)

Question 11

Earth: basic composition

Answer 11

1) Core of iron
2) Mantle and crust of rock
3) Oceans
4) Atmosphere

Question 12

Bulk elemental composition of Earth (percent by mass)

Answer 12

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%

Question 13

The eight most abundant elements on Earth account for what percent of its total mass?

Answer 13

99%

Question 14

Bulk elemental composition of the sun (percent by mass)

Answer 14

Hydrogen (H) 75 wt%

Helium (He) 23 wt%

Question 15

What is Earth’s main fuel source today?

Answer 15

Hydrogen (in its hydrogen-burning stage)

Question 16

First stage of solar system formation

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Secondary stage of solar system formation

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Third stage of solar system formation

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Fate of our sun

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Volatile elements/compounds

Answer 20

Those elements/compounds that tend to form gases, even at relatively now temperatures.

Enriched in the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)

Question 21

Examples of volatile elements

Answer 21

Hydrogen (H)
Helium (He)
Oxygen (O)
Nitrogen (N)
Neon (Ne)
Argon (Ar) 
Krypton (Kr)
Xenon (Xe)
Radon (Rn)

Question 22

Examples of volatile compounds

Answer 22

Water (H2O)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Ammonia (NH3)

Question 23

Refractory elements

Answer 23

Elements that tend to form solids, even at relatively high temperature.

Enriched in the rocky, or terrestrial, planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars)

Question 24

Examples if refractory elements

Answer 24

Calcium (Ca)
Aluminum (Al)
Titanium (Ti)
Iron (Fe)
Nickel (Ni) 
Cobalt (Co)
Silicon (Si)