CHAPTER II 



THE ELEMENTS AND THE SOIL 



THE mass of the earth (and the atmosphere) is at present assumed 

 to be composed of certain elementary or indivisible substances, and of 

 combinations of these substances. The number of elements now 

 recognized by chemists is eighty-three. The names of these elements, 

 with the symbols that are used for convenience and brevity in ex- 

 pressing the combinations into which they unite, are given in the 

 table: 



The elements and their symbols 



Aluminum . Al. 



Antimony Sb. 



Argon A. 



Arsenic As. 



Barium Ba. 



Beryllium . Be. 



Bismuth Bi. 



Boron B. 



Bromin Br. 



Cadmium Cd. 



Caesium Cs. 



Calcium Ca. 



Carbon C. 



Cerium Ce. 



Chlorin Cl. 



Chromium Cr. 



Cobalt Co. 



Columbium Cb. 



Copper Cu. 



Dysprosium Dy. 



Erbium . Er. 



Europium Eu. 



Fluorin F. 



Gadolinium Gd. 



Gallium Ga. 



Germanium Ge. 



Glucinum Gl. 



Gold Au. 



Helium He. 



Hydrogen H. 



Indium In. 



lodin I. 



Iridium . Ir. 



Iron Fe. 



Krypton Kr. 



Lanthanum La. 



Lead . Pb. 



Lithium Li. 



Lutecium Lu. 



Magnesium Mg. 



Manganese ........ Mn. 



Mercury Hg. 



Molybdenum Mo. 



Neodymium Nd. 



Neon Ne. 



Nickel Ni. 



Niobium Nb. 



Nitrogen N. 



Osmium Os. 



Oxygen O. 



Palladium Pd. 



Phosphorus P. 



Platinum Pt. 



Potassium K. 



Praseodymium Pr. 



Radium Ra. 



Rhodium Rh. 



Rubidium Rb. 



Ruthenium Ru. 



Samarium Sm. 



Scandium Sc. 



Selenium Se. 



Silicon Si. 



Silver Ag. 



Sodium Na. 



Strontium Sr. 



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