ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Abundance of elements in Earth's crust

The Earth is like a big ball with different layers on it. One of those layers is called the crust, and it's the layer that we live on. It's kind of like the skin of an apple. The crust is made up of different things like rocks, soil, and minerals. These things are made up of even smaller pieces called elements.

Now, there are lots of different elements that make up the crust, but some of them are more common than others. Think about your toys, you probably have more of some toys than others, and it's the same with elements in the Earth's crust.

The most abundant element is oxygen. You've probably heard of oxygen before because it's what we breathe in to survive. Oxygen makes up about 46% of the crust. The second most abundant element is silicon. Silicon makes up about 28% of the crust. Silicon is really important because it's used to make things like computer chips and solar panels.

Other common elements in the crust include aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and titanium. These elements make up about 20% of the crust. The remaining 6% is made up of lots of different elements, but they're less common.

So, just like you have toys that you like more than others, the Earth's crust has elements that are more common than others. Understanding what elements are in the crust is important for things like mining and building, so we can use the Earth's resources wisely.