ELEMENTS
Elements are fundamental substances of matter - matter
that is composed of all the same atom type. At present, 118 elements are
well documented (1 to 118; element 122 is controversial). Of these, 94
are known to occur naturally on Earth (most of which occur in rocks &
minerals). Some will say the number of naturally occurring elements on
Earth is less than this, but the correct number is 94 (hydrogen to plutonium;
technetium & neptunium & plutonium have been identified in some
rocks). Some of the 94 occur in rocks & minerals in trace
amounts. Only some elements occur in their native elemental state as
minerals.
To find a native element in nature, it must be
relatively non-reactive and there must be some concentration process.
Metallic, semimetallic (metalloid), and nonmetallic elements are known in their
native state as minerals.