the.com/element
a building block so loyal it forgets there's a universe of compromise.
means A fundamental component or part of a larger whole, or in chemistry one of the basic substances that cannot be broken down into simpler ones.
from From Latin 'elementum,' meaning a first principle or rudiment — the basic stuff of which everything is made. The Romans used it for the classical four (earth, water, air, fire), and possibly for the letters of the alphabet as the building blocks of words. Its deeper source is uncertain; one charming guess links it to the letter sequence 'L-M-N' (el-em-en) sounded out like 'A-B-C,' but that's an old guess, not a proven root.
- hydrogen share
- About 90% of all atoms in the universe.
- naming rights
- Discoverers can name new ones, hence flerovium and oganesson.
- shortest-lived
- Some exist for milliseconds before decaying.
- in you
- Your body is mostly oxygen by mass.
- gold origin
- Forged in violent neutron star collisions.
hydrogen — most abundant element in the universe, makes up 75% of ordinary matter
oxygen — 21% of earth's atmosphere, essential for aerobic respiration in all mammals
carbon — basis of all known life forms and organic chemistry
iron — comprises earth's inner core and is the 4th most abundant element in earth's crust