Because they have never experienced planetary differentiation, the carbonaceous

Question

Because they have never experienced planetary differentiation, the carbonaceous chondritic meteorites are generally believed to be good representation of primitive solar system material. This conclusion is corroborated by the fact that the relative element abundances in chondtrites match those in the Sun for most elements.

What are the main characteristics of solar system element abundances?

In what major ways is the earth’s crust different in chemical composition from the chondrites, and what processes have caused these differences?

Explanation / Answer

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe followed by helium. The elements show a zig zag pattern of abundance. elements with odd atomic number are in general more abundant then even atomic numbered elements. the abundance decreases with increasing atomic number with few exceptions.

Earths crust is composed mostly by oxygen followed by silicon and aluminium. This deviation from chondrites is due to the diffenenciation of the earth and sinking of the heavier iron and nickel to the mantle and core and floating of the lighter silica and aluminium to the crust.

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