315 
TaBLE 1.—Abundances of the elements in the primeval gas cloud from which the 
earth and the meteorites formed 
ABUNDANCE OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS—SUESS 
[The number of atoms of each element per million atoms of silicon is given in the table] 
some Element Atoms Atomic Element Atoms 
0. 
1 | Hydrogen__-__- 30 billion. 44 | Ruthenium_-_-_} 1.49 
2) | elimi ses = 4 billion. 45 | Rhodium__-__- 0.214 
on oithiome sss 100, 46 | Palladium_-__.} 0.675 
4 | Beryllium____- 20. ATo ||P Silver Sisson 222 0.26 
jap bOrone sas saa 24, 48 | Cadmium_-_-_-_- 0.89. 
Gain@arbonZ=2222— 10 million. 49 | Indium______- 0.11. 
Gis Nitrogen 222/22 3 million. SOM in 22 ee ee 1.33. 
SuimOxycena. 2222 30 million. 51 | Antimony__-_-]| 0.246 
9 | Fluorine_____- 1,600. 52 i tellunume 2 4.67. 
LOM Neons 26535 2_ 8.6 million. 53) Lodimes 222 bu 2 0.80. 
tie) Sodimm=22.-.— 43,800. 54 | Xenon______- 4.0. 
12 | Magnesium_-_-_| 912,000. 55) |) Cesium co. 0.456 
13 | Aluminum__-_-_| 94,800. 50s | Barium 2: 253 3.66 
14S Silicones 42a 1 million. 57 | Lanthanum_--_| 2.00 
15 | Phosphorus._-| 10,000. 58° | (Cerium. S22 2.26 
164); Sulphur... .-_ 375,000. 59 | Praseodymium-_} 0.40. 
172 \ aC hiorine:—-- = — 8,850. 60 | Neodymium_-_-_| 1.44. 
Se eArecone ss ss ee- 150,000 61 | Promethium___| 0. 
19 | Potassium___-_| 3,160. 62 | Samarium_-_-_-_| 0.664. 
20), Calcium ____- 49,000 63 | Europium.-_ __| 0.19. 
21 | Scandium___-_- 28. 64 | Gadolinium_-__} 0.684. 
22. | Titanium____- 2,440. 65+) Derbiumo_ 222 0.096. 
23 | Vanadium__-_-.| 220. 66 | Dysprosium___] 0.556. 
24 } Chromium_-_-__| 7,800. 67 | Holmium_---- 0.118. 
25 | Manganese__-_| 6,850. 68, | Erbium 22. 2 0.316. 
26) MUlrons 2.265. 600,000 69 | Thultum —_---- 0.032. 
ZialeCobaltass.22— 1,800. 70 | Ytterbium____| 0.220. 
28 | Nickel_.....-- 27,400. 71 | Lutetium_____ 0.050. 
Zn aCOpper-— = 2 212: (25 \ eatin. 2 0.438. 
SOR eZAN Clea a= 2 486 73 | Tantalum_-___- 0.065 
SL iieGalligme .2 2.2 11.4 74 | Tungsten_.... 0.49. 
32 | Germanium__-_| 50.5 75 | Rhenium_-_-__- O2135: 
Bo WATSEnIC= ==. — 2 4 76) | Osmiume 222-2 1.00. 
34 | Selenium __-__-_ 67.6 Gi, dridgum sate | 0.821. 
35 | Bromine__-_-_-- 13.4. (8 || Platinunt 22 1.625. 
36 | Krypton_____- DIRS: (OM) Goldszasesecke 0.145. 
37 | Rubidium_-_-_-_] 6.5. 80° | Merecury..---- 0.017. 
38 | Strontium__ _-| 18.9. Si Rhalliam ss... (ale 
39.) Yttrium.) 8.9. 827 Meadors 5 
40 | Zirconium__.-_| 54.5. 83 | Bismuth____-- 0.1 
41) (Niobium 2222 1.0. 90) | Bhorium 2222. 0.02 
42 | Molybdenum__}| 2.42. 92 | Uranium _-_-_-- 0.006 
43 | Technetium___| 0. 
The earlier theories of the origin of the elements can be divided 
into two groups: equilibrium theories and nonequilibrium theories. 
In the equilibrium theories it is assumed that the existing abundance 
distribution corresponds approximately to the equilibrium concentra- 
tions of the nuclear species at a certain temperature and pressure at 
which they were “frozen in.” This assumption requires a correlation 
of abundances with the total binding energies of the nuclei. Such 
correlation seems indeed to exist, but only within certain relatively 
narrow ranges of mass numbers. The thermodynamic parameters, 
