Chapter 7: Elements

creation of elements

-Big Bang: very simple, lightweight elements of hydrogen, helium, and lithium -cores of stars: (titanium and iron) transition metals -supernovae: (titanium, iron, gallium, and uranium) transition metals, post-transition metals, and actinoids -essentially, elements made during supernovae tend to be heavier than elements made in the cores of stars; the elements that were made during the Big Bang are the lightest elements.

elements found in their natural element state

-helium -oxygen -iridium -palladium

Which elements have the highest universal abundances?

-hydrogen, helium, carbon, oxygen

elements formed immediately after the Big Bang

-hydrogen, helium, lithium

elements found as minerals/ ores

-hydrogen: compound form -lithium: compound form -carbon: minerals -aluminum: silicates, oxides -titanium: compounds, minerals -iron: minerals hematite and magnetite -gallium: compounds -technetium: uranium ore -uranium: uranium ore -cerium: found in minerals -Einsteinium: manufactured -mercury: cinnabar -thorium: minerals -phosphorus: phosphates -selenium: (mainly) minerals

elements proven essential for life- what do they do for life?

-hydrogen: essential for water production -carbon: abundant in the human body -oxygen: Calvin Cycle, cellular respiration -iron: transports oxygen to the blood via hemoglobin

elements useful in industry- how are they used?

-hydrogen: rocket fuel -helium: MRI machines, welding -lithium: pharmaceutical, pacemakers, batteries, fireworks, aircraft -carbon: fuel -aluminum: lightweight, corrosive resistant -titanium: military (lightweight and strong), strengthens gold, clear image in telescopes -iron: forms steel when paired with carbon -gallium: semiconductors -technetium: prevents corrosion of steel, medical isotope -uranium: power plant fuel, ships and planes, military -iridium: equipment at high temperatures -cerium: flat screen TVs, polish glass, flint -palladium: catalytic converters, jewelry -selenium: dietary selenium, fertilizer

Which elements have the lowest universal abundances?

-lithium, uranium, thorium, phosphorus

universal abundances versus Earthly abundances

-not the same -for some elements, such as hydrogen, the element is more abundant in the universe than on earth. -for elements such as mercury and thorium, the element is more abundant on earth, and thus has a larger ppb abundance than it does in the universe.

higher abundances versus lower abundances

-the elements formed shortly after the Big Bang (hydrogen, helium), along with elements crucial to life on earth (carbon, oxygen), typically have very high abundances.

elements made in the core of stars

-titanium, iron

elements made during supernovae

-titanium, iron, gallium, uranium

different mechanisms by which elements have gotten to Earth

-volcanoes (lithium) -collision between earth and embryonic planet (carbon) -debris of exploding stars (oxygen, uranium) -present on earth when formed (titanium) -asteroid collision (iridium) -artificially produced (Einsteinium, technetium) -condensed interstellar medium (thorium)

Hydrogen makes up most of the mass on which planet in our solar system?

Jupiter

Creation of this metal in stars from the precursor Mg and free protons, results in the release of high energy gamma rays.

aluminum

What element is thought of as the building block necessary for life throughout the universe?

carbon

This element is made through rapid fusion when supernovae occur by using iron as its precursor.

gallium

This element has huge reserves on Earth located in the middle east and the midwest of the US

helium

This is the heaviest element forged in the cores of stars and it makes up about ⅓ of the Earth's mass.

iron

This element makes up <1% of the atoms in the universe, despite its small nucleus and mass, due to the instability of the pure element.

lithium

This element is created in massive stars through fusion of He nuclei and is a vital element on Earth for processes like the Calvin Cycle and cellular respiration.

oxygen

This element is not produced naturally, but rather was the first artificially made element.

technetium

This metal is formed in dying stars and supernova. Our moon also has an abnormally large abundance of it.

titanium