The universe hides many secrets in its depths. For a long time, people have sought to unravel as many of them as possible, and, despite the fact that this does not always work out, science is moving forward by leaps and bounds, allowing us to learn more and more about our origins. So, for example, many will be interested in what is the most common one in the Universe. Most people will immediately think of water, and they will be partly right, because the most common element is hydrogen.
The most abundant element in the Universe
It is extremely rare for people to encounter hydrogen in pure form. However, in nature it is very often found in association with other elements. For example, when it reacts with oxygen, hydrogen turns into water. And this is far from the only compound that includes this element; it is found everywhere not only on our planet, but also in space.
How did the Earth appear?
Many millions of years ago, hydrogen, without exaggeration, became the building material for the entire Universe. After all, after the big bang, which became the first stage of the creation of the world, nothing existed except this element. elementary because it consists of only one atom. Over time, the most abundant element in the universe began to form clouds, which later became stars. And already inside them reactions took place, as a result of which new, more complex elements appeared, giving rise to planets.
Hydrogen
This element accounts for about 92% of the atoms in the Universe. But it is found not only in stars, interstellar gas, but also in common elements on our planet. Most often it exists in a bound form, and the most common compound is, of course, water.
In addition, hydrogen is part of a number of carbon compounds that form oil and natural gas. 
Conclusion
Despite the fact that it is the most common element throughout the world, surprisingly, it can be dangerous for humans because it sometimes catches fire when it reacts with air. To understand how important a role hydrogen played in the creation of the Universe, it is enough to realize that without it nothing living would have appeared on Earth.
Scientists explain the emergence of chemical elements with the theory Big Bang. According to it, the Universe was formed after the Big Bang of a huge fireball, which scattered particles of matter and energy flows in all directions. Although, if in the Universe the most common chemical elements are Hydrogen and Helium, then on planet Earth they are Oxygen and Silicon.
Of the total number of known chemical elements, 88 such elements have been found on Earth, among which the most common in the earth’s crust are Oxygen (49.4%), Silicon (25.8%), also Aluminum (7.5%), Iron, Potassium and other chemical elements found in nature. These elements account for 99% of the mass of the entire Earth's shell.
The composition of elements in the Earth's crust differs from those found in the mantle and core. So the Earth's core consists mainly of iron and nickel, and the Earth's surface is saturated with oxygen.
The most common chemical elements on Earth
(49.4% in the Earth's crust)
Almost all living organisms on Earth use oxygen for respiration. Tens of billions of tons of oxygen are consumed every year, but there is still no less of it in the air. Scientists believe that green plants on the planet emit oxygen almost six times more than it is consumed...
(25.8% in the Earth's crust)
The role of Silicon in the geochemistry of the Earth is enormous, approximately 12% of the lithosphere is silica SiO2 (all hard and durable rocks consist of a third of silicon), and the number of minerals that contain silica is more than 400. On Earth, Silicon is not found in free form, only in compounds ...
(7.5% in the Earth's crust)
Aluminum does not occur in nature in its pure form. Aluminum is part of granites, clay, basalts, feldspar, etc. and is found in many minerals...
(4.7% in the Earth's crust)
This chemical element is very important for living organisms, as it is a catalyst for the respiratory process, is involved in the delivery of oxygen to tissues, and is present in blood hemoglobin. In nature, Iron is found in ore (magnetite, hematite, limonite and pyrite) and in more than 300 minerals (sulfides, silicates, carbonates, etc.)...
(3.4% in the Earth's crust)
It is not found in nature in its pure form; it is found in compounds in soil, all inorganic binders, animals, plants and natural water. Calcium ions in the blood play an important role in regulating the functioning of the heart, and allow it to clot in air. When there is a lack of Calcium in plants, the root system suffers...
(2.6% in the Earth's crust)
Sodium is distributed at the top earth's crust, occurs in nature in the form of minerals: halite, mirabilite, cryolite and borax. It is part of the human body; human blood contains about 0.6% NaCl, due to which normal osmotic pressure of the blood is maintained. Animals contain more sodium than plants...
(2.4% in the Earth's crust)
It is not found in nature in pure form, only in compounds, and is found in many minerals: sylvite, sylvinite, carnallite, aluminosilicates, etc. Sea water contains approximately 0.04% potassium. Potassium quickly oxidizes in air and easily enters chemical reactions. It is an important element in plant development; if it is deficient, they turn yellow and seeds lose their viability...
(1.9% in the Earth's crust)
In nature, Magnesium is not found in its pure form, but is part of many minerals: silicates, carbonates, sulfates, aluminosilicates, etc. In addition, there is a lot of Magnesium in sea water, groundwater, plants and natural brines...
(0.9% in the Earth's crust)
Hydrogen is part of the atmosphere, all organic substances and living cells. Its share in living cells by number of atoms is 63%. Hydrogen is found in petroleum, volcanic and natural combustible gases; some hydrogen is released by green plants. Formed during the decomposition of organic substances and during the coking of coal...
(0.6% in the Earth's crust)
It is not found in nature in free form, often in the form of TiO2 dioxide or its compounds (titanates). Contained in the soil, in animal and plant organisms and is part of more than 60 minerals. In the biosphere, Titan is resplendent, in sea water it is 10-7%. Titan is also found in grains, fruits, plant stems, animal tissues, milk, chicken eggs and in the human body...
The rarest chemical elements on Earth
- Lutetium(0.00008% in the Earth's crust by mass). To obtain it, it is isolated from minerals along with other heavy rare elements.
- Ytterbium(3.310-5% in the Earth's crust by mass). Contained in bastensite, monazite, gadolinite, talenite and other minerals.
- Thulium(2.7 .10−5 wt.% in the Earth's crust by mass). Just like other rare earth elements, they are found in minerals: xenotime, monazite, euxenite, loparite, etc.
- Erbium(3.3 g/t in the Earth's crust by mass). It is mined from monazite and bastenizite, as well as some rare chemical elements.
- Holmium(1.3.10−4% in the Earth’s crust by mass). Along with other rare earth elements, it is found in the minerals monazite, euxenite, bastenizite, apatite and gadolinite.
Very rare chemical elements are used in radio electronics, nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, metallurgy and chemical industry and etc.
It was a sensation - it turns out that the most important substance on Earth consists of two equally important chemical elements. “AiF” decided to look at the periodic table and remember thanks to what elements and compounds the Universe exists, as well as life on Earth and human civilization.
HYDROGEN (H)
Where it occurs: the most common element in the Universe, its main “ construction material" Stars are made of it, including the Sun. Thanks to thermonuclear fusion with the participation of hydrogen, the Sun will warm our planet for another 6.5 billion years.
What is useful: in industry - in the production of ammonia, soap and plastics. Hydrogen energy has great prospects: this gas does not pollute environment, because when burned it produces only water vapor.
CARBON (C)
Where it occurs: Every organism is largely made of carbon. In the human body this element occupies about 21%. So, our muscles consist of 2/3 of it. In the free state, it occurs in nature in the form of graphite and diamond.
What is useful: food, energy and much more. etc. The class of carbon-based compounds is huge - hydrocarbons, proteins, fats, etc. This element is indispensable in nanotechnology.
NITROGEN (N)
Where it occurs: The Earth's atmosphere is 75% nitrogen. Part of proteins, amino acids, hemoglobin, etc.
What is useful: necessary for the existence of animals and plants. In industry it is used as a gaseous medium for packaging and storage, a refrigerant. With its help, various compounds are synthesized - ammonia, fertilizers, explosives, dyes.
OXYGEN (O)
Where it occurs: The most common element on Earth, it accounts for about 47% of the mass of the solid crust. Sea and fresh waters consist of 89% oxygen, the atmosphere - 23%.
What is useful: Oxygen allows living things to breathe; without it, fire would not be possible. This gas is widely used in medicine, metallurgy, food industry, and energy.
CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
Where it occurs: In the atmosphere, in sea water.
What is useful: Thanks to this compound, plants can breathe. The process of absorbing carbon dioxide from the air is called photosynthesis. This is the main source of biological energy. It is worth recalling that the energy that we obtain from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) has been accumulated in the depths of the earth over millions of years thanks to photosynthesis.
IRON (Fe)
Where it occurs: one of the most common in solar system elements. The cores of the terrestrial planets consist of it.
What is useful: metal used by humans since ancient times. Whole historical era called the Iron Age. Now up to 95% of global metal production comes from iron, which is the main component of steels and cast irons.
SILVER (Ag)
Where it occurs: One of the scarce elements. Previously found in nature in native form.
What is useful: WITH mid-XIII centuries has become a traditional material for making tableware. It has unique properties, therefore it is used in various industries - in jewelry, photography, electrical engineering and electronics. The disinfecting properties of silver are also known.
GOLD (Au)
Where it occurs: Previously found in nature in native form. It is mined in the mines.
What is useful: the most important element of the world financial system, because its reserves are small. It has long been used as money. Currently, all bank gold reserves are assessed
32 thousand tons - if you fuse them together, you get a cube with a side of only 12 m. It is used in medicine, microelectronics, and nuclear research.
SILICON (Si)
Where it occurs: In terms of prevalence in the earth's crust, this element ranks second (27-30% of the total mass).
What is useful: Silicon is the main material for electronics. Also used in metallurgy and in the production of glass and cement.
WATER (H2O)
Where it occurs: Our planet is 71% covered with water. The human body consists of 65% of this compound. There is water in outer space, in the bodies of comets.
Why it’s useful: It is of key importance in the creation and maintenance of life on Earth, because due to its molecular properties it is a universal solvent. Water has many unique properties that we don’t think about. So, if it did not increase in volume when freezing, life simply would not have arisen: reservoirs would freeze to the bottom every winter. And so, as it expands, the lighter ice remains on the surface, maintaining a viable environment underneath.
We all know that hydrogen fills our Universe by 75%. But do you know what other chemical elements there are that are no less important for our existence and play a significant role for the life of people, animals, plants and our entire Earth? The elements from this rating form our entire Universe!
10. Sulfur (abundance relative to silicon – 0.38)
This chemical element is listed under the symbol S in the periodic table and is characterized by atomic number 16. Sulfur is very common in nature.
9. Iron (abundance relative to silicon – 0.6)
Denoted by the symbol Fe, atomic number - 26. Iron is very common in nature, it plays a particularly important role in the formation of the inner and outer shell of the Earth's core.
8. Magnesium (abundance relative to silicon – 0.91)
In the periodic table, magnesium can be found under the symbol Mg, and its atomic number is 12. What is most amazing about this chemical element is that it is most often released when stars explode during the process of their transformation into supernovae.
7. Silicon (abundance relative to silicon – 1)
Denoted as Si. The atomic number of silicon is 14. This blue-gray metalloid is very rarely found in the earth's crust in its pure form, but is quite common in other substances. For example, it can even be found in plants.
6. Carbon (abundance relative to silicon – 3.5)
Carbon in the periodic table of chemical elements is listed under the symbol C, its atomic number is 6. The most famous allotropic modification of carbon is one of the most desirable precious stones in the world - diamonds. Carbon is also actively used in other industrial purposes for more everyday purposes.
5. Nitrogen (abundance relative to silicon – 6.6)
Symbol N, atomic number 7. First discovered by Scottish physician Daniel Rutherford, nitrogen most often occurs in the form nitric acid and nitrates.
4. Neon (abundance relative to silicon – 8.6)
It is designated by the symbol Ne, atomic number is 10. It is no secret that this particular chemical element is associated with a beautiful glow.
3. Oxygen (abundance relative to silicon – 22)
A chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8, oxygen is essential to our existence! But this does not mean that it is present only on Earth and serves only for human lungs. The universe is full of surprises.
2. Helium (abundance relative to silicon – 3,100)
The symbol for helium is He, the atomic number is 2. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and its boiling point is the lowest of all chemical elements. And thanks to him, the balls soar skyward!
1. Hydrogen (abundance relative to silicon – 40,000)
The true number one on our list, hydrogen is found in the periodic table under the symbol H and has atomic number 1. It is the lightest chemical element on the periodic table and the most abundant element in the entire known universe.
The simplest and most common element
Hydrogen has only one proton and one electron (it is the only element without a neutron). It is the simplest element in the universe, which explains why it is also the most abundant, Nyman said. However, an isotope of hydrogen called deuterium contains one proton and one neutron, and another, known as tritium, has one proton and two neutrons.
In stars, hydrogen atoms fuse to create helium, the second most abundant element in the universe. Helium has two protons, two neutrons and two electrons. Together, helium and hydrogen make up 99.9 percent of all known matter in the universe.
However, there is about 10 times more hydrogen in the universe than helium, Nyman says. “Oxygen, which is the third most abundant element, is about 1,000 times less abundant than hydrogen,” she added.
Generally speaking, the higher the atomic number of an element, the less of it can be found in the universe. 
Hydrogen in the Earth
The composition of the Earth, however, is different from that of the Universe. For example, oxygen is the most abundant element by weight in the earth's crust. It is followed by silicon, aluminum and iron. In the human body, the most abundant element by weight is oxygen, followed by carbon and hydrogen.
Role in the human body
Hydrogen has a number of key roles in the human body. Hydrogen bonds help DNA stay coiled. In addition, hydrogen helps maintain the correct pH in the stomach and other organs. If your stomach becomes too alkaline, hydrogen is released as it is associated with regulating this process. If the environment in the stomach is too acidic, hydrogen will bond with other elements. 
Hydrogen in water
In addition, it is hydrogen that allows ice to float on the surface of water, since hydrogen bonds increase the distance between its frozen molecules, making them less dense.
Typically, a substance is denser when it is in a solid state rather than a liquid, Nyman said. Water is the only substance that becomes less dense when solid. 
What is the danger of hydrogen
However, hydrogen can also be dangerous. Its reaction with oxygen led to the disaster of the Hindenburg airship, which killed 36 people in 1937. Besides, hydrogen bombs can be incredibly destructive, although they have never been used as a weapon. However, their potential was demonstrated in the 1950s by countries such as the USA, USSR, Great Britain, France and China.
Hydrogen bombs, like atomic bombs, use a combination of nuclear fusion and fission reactions to cause destruction. When they explode, they create not only mechanical shock waves, but also radiation.
There is the most common chemical element and the most common substance on our amazing planet, and there is the most common chemical element in the vastness of the Universe.
The most abundant chemical element on Earth
On our planet, the leader in abundance is oxygen. It interacts with almost all elements. Its atoms are found in almost all rocks and minerals that form the earth's crust. The modern period of development of chemistry began precisely with the discovery of this important and primary chemical element. The credit for this discovery is shared by Scheele, Priestley and Lavoisier. The debate about which of them is the discoverer has been going on for hundreds of years, and has not yet stopped. But the word “oxygen” itself was introduced into use by Lomonosov.It accounts for a little more than forty-seven percent of the total solid mass of the earth's crust. Bound oxygen makes up almost eighty-nine percent of the mass of fresh and sea water. Free oxygen is found in the atmosphere, making up about twenty-three percent by mass and almost twenty-one percent by volume. At least one and a half thousand compounds in the earth's crust contain oxygen. There are no living cells in the world that do not contain this common element. Sixty-five percent of the mass of every living cell is oxygen.
Today, this substance is obtained industrially from the air and supplied under a pressure of 15 MPa in steel cylinders. There are other ways to get it. Areas of application – food industry, medicine, metallurgy, etc.
Where is the most common element found?
It is almost impossible to find a corner of nature where there is no oxygen. It is everywhere – in the depths, and high above the Earth, and under water, and in the water itself. It is found not only in compounds, but also in a free state. Most likely, it is precisely because of this that this element has always been of interest to scientists. 
Geologists and chemists study the presence of oxygen in combination with all elements. Botanists are interested in studying the processes of plant nutrition and respiration. Physiologists have not fully elucidated the role of oxygen in the life of animals and humans. Physicists are trying to find new way its use to create high temperatures.
It is known that regardless of whether it is hot southern air or cold air from northern regions, the oxygen content in it is always the same and amounts to twenty-one percent.
How is the most common substance used?
As the most abundant known substance on the planet, water is used everywhere. This substance covers and permeates everything, but it remains little studied. Studying it in depth modern science I took it up relatively recently. Scientists have discovered many of its properties that cannot yet be explained. 
Not a single day is complete without this most common substance. economic activity person. It's hard to imagine Agriculture or industry without water, just as nuclear reactors, turbines, and power plants where water is used for cooling will not operate without this substance. For household needs, people use an increasing amount of this substance from year to year. So for a Stone Age man, ten liters of water per day was quite enough. Today, every inhabitant of the Earth collectively uses at least two hundred and twenty liters every day. Humans are made up of eighty percent water; everyone consumes at least one and a half liters of liquid every day.
The most abundant chemical element in the Universe
Three-quarters of the entire Universe is hydrogen, in other words, this is the most common element in the Universe. Water, being the most common substance on our planet, consists of more than eleven percent hydrogen. 
In the earth's crust, hydrogen is one percent by mass, but by the number of atoms it is as much as sixteen percent. Such compounds as natural gases, oil and coal cannot do without the presence of hydrogen.
It should be noted that this common element is extremely rare in the free state. On the surface of our planet, it is present in small quantities in some natural gases, including volcanic ones. There is free hydrogen in the atmosphere, but its presence there is extremely small. It is hydrogen that is the element that creates the radiation inner earth belt, like a flow of protons.
But the largest star in the universe has a diameter of 1,391,000.
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Oxygen is the most abundant chemical element on earth, and what is the second most abundant element?
- The most common element in my opinion is NITROGEN.
- Oxygen 49.5%
Silicon 25.3%P.S.
Carbon 0.1%, nitrogen 0.01%, hydrogen 0.97% cannot possibly be second in abundance
And H2O is not a chemical element, but a substance :) - Silicon. 26% by weight in the earth's crust.
- Carbon, (all vegetation).
- In its pure form, silicon was isolated in 1811 by French scientists Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis Jacques Thénard.
In 1825, the Swedish chemist Jons Jakob Berzelius obtained pure elemental silicon by the action of potassium metal on silicon fluoride SiF4. The new element was given the name silicium (from the Latin silex flint). Russian name silicon was introduced in 1834 by the Russian chemist German Ivanovich Hess. Translated into Greek kremnos cliff, mountain.
In terms of abundance in the earth's crust, silicon ranks second among all elements (after oxygen). The mass of the earth's crust consists of 27.629.5% silicon. Silicon is a component of several hundred different natural silicates and aluminosilicates. The most common is silica or silicon (IV) oxide SiO2 ( river sand, quartz, flint, etc.), constituting about 12% of the earth's crust (by mass). Silicon does not occur in free form in nature.
The crystal lattice of silicon is cubic face-centered like diamond, parameter a = 0.54307 nm (other polymorphic modifications of silicon have been obtained at high pressures), but due to the longer bond length between SiSi atoms compared to the length of the C C bond, the silicon hardness is significantly less than diamond Silicon is fragile, only when heated above 800 C does it become a plastic substance. Interestingly, silicon is transparent to infrared radiation.
Elementary silicon is a typical semiconductor. The band gap at room temperature is 1.09 eV. The concentration of charge carriers in silicon with intrinsic conductivity at room temperature is 1.51016 m-3. The electrical properties of crystalline silicon are greatly influenced by the microimpurities it contains. To obtain silicon single crystals with hole conductivity, additives of group III elements - boron, aluminum, gallium and indium - are introduced into silicon; with electronic conductivity, additives of elements V group phosphorus, arsenic or antimony. The electrical properties of silicon can be varied by changing the processing conditions of single crystals, in particular, by treating the silicon surface with various chemical agents.
Currently, silicon is the main material for electronics. Monocrystalline silicon material for gas laser mirrors. Sometimes silicon (commercial grade) and its alloy with iron (ferrosilicon) are used to produce hydrogen in the field. Compounds of metals with silicon, silicides, are widely used in industry (for example, electronic and nuclear) materials with a wide range of useful chemical, electrical and nuclear properties (resistance to oxidation, neutrons, etc.), and silicides of a number of elements are important thermoelectric materials. Silicon is used in metallurgy in the smelting of cast iron, steel, bronze, silumin, etc. (as a deoxidizer and modifier, and also as an alloying component).