How Many Natural Elements Are There?

In summary, the conversation is about the number of natural elements, specifically the inclusion of 93 Neptunium and 94 Plutonium. The question arises of how these elements can be considered natural if they are synthetically prepared. The concept of "natural" is debated and the topic has been discussed before.
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RJ Emery
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TL;DR Summary
Number of Natural Elements
I always thought there were 92 natural elements, ending with atomic number 92 Uranium. However, I read where 94 are considered natural, to wit, 93 Neptunium and 94 Plutonium. Yet, the latter two need to be synthetically prepared. How can they be considered natural?

Was 94 always the accepted number of natural elements?

With the exception of 43 Technetium, all the elements above 92 Uranium are synthetic.
 
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Define "natural" and we will start from there.

Do elements synthesized in r-process count?
 
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Is Technitium natural? Promethium? Astatine? Francium?
 
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RJ Emery said:
Summary:: Number of Natural Elements

I always thought there were 92 natural elements, ending with atomic number 92 Uranium. However, I read where 94 are considered natural, to wit, 93 Neptunium and 94 Plutonium. Yet, the latter two need to be synthetically prepared. How can they be considered natural?

Was 94 always the accepted number of natural elements?

With the exception of 43 Technetium, all the elements above 92 Uranium are synthetic.

As Borek said, until you can clearly define the word "natural" unambiguously, your question is vague and has no clear answer.

Zz.
 
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1. How many natural elements are there?

There are currently 118 known natural elements.

2. What is the definition of a natural element?

A natural element is a chemical substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means and is found naturally on Earth.

3. How are natural elements discovered?

Natural elements are discovered through a combination of experiments, observations, and theoretical predictions by scientists.

4. What is the most abundant natural element on Earth?

Oxygen is the most abundant natural element on Earth, making up approximately 21% of the Earth's atmosphere by volume.

5. Are there any elements that are not found naturally on Earth?

Yes, there are a few elements that are not found naturally on Earth, such as technetium and promethium. These elements are created in laboratories through nuclear reactions.

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