The periodic table lists 118 chemical elements, of which 92 occur naturally on Earth. The remaining 26 elements are synthetic, created artificially in laboratories. So in summary, yes there are 92 natural chemical elements found in nature.
The periodic table arranges the chemical elements in order of increasing atomic number. Each element has a unique number of protons in its atomic nucleus, ranging from 1 proton for hydrogen to 118 protons for oganesson, the heaviest element. Elements are further classified into metals, nonmetals, and metalloids according to their shared physical and chemical properties.
Most of the elements up to uranium (atomic number 92) occur naturally. These include common elements like carbon, oxygen, and iron that make up materials on Earth. Heavier elements from neptunium (93) and beyond are unstable and can only be produced artificially in particle accelerators or nuclear reactors.
So out of the 118 total elements, 92 originate naturally from stars or other cosmic processes. The remaining 26 were manufactured and did not exist prior to the 20th century before humans could synthesize them.
Naturally Occurring Elements
The 92 natural elements comprise all the elements up through uranium on the periodic table. Many have been known since ancient times, such as gold, silver, copper, lead, iron, carbon, sulfur, and mercury. Others were discovered more recently as chemistry and physics advanced in the 18th-20th centuries.
Natural elements form primarily through stellar nucleosynthesis – nuclear fusion reactions inside stars that build up heavier and heavier nuclei. Starting from hydrogen and helium, stars fuse lighter elements into heavier ones up to iron. Even heavier elements form in explosive stellar events like supernovae.
The most common natural elements in Earth’s crust and atmosphere are oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Trace elements occur in much lower levels but are still essential for life and nutrition.
| Atomic Number | Element | Abundance in Earth’s crust (ppm) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hydrogen | 1400 |
| 8 | Oxygen | 461,000 |
| 14 | Silicon | 277,200 |
| 13 | Aluminum | 81,300 |
| 26 | Iron | 50,000 |
| 20 | Calcium | 36,300 |
| 11 | Sodium | 28,300 |
| 19 | Potassium | 25,900 |
| 12 | Magnesium | 22,900 |
Other natural elements have trace abundances below 100 ppm in Earth’s crust. But small quantities go a long way for life functions and industrial uses.
Synthetic Transuranium Elements
No elements beyond uranium with atomic number greater than 92 occur naturally. They are inherently unstable due to an excess of protons and neutrons in their nuclei. But scientists have artificially created heavier elements by adding protons to uranium and other nuclei.
Neptunium, the first transuranium element with atomic number 93, was synthesized in 1940 by bombarding uranium atoms with neutrons. Over the next decades, new elements were created and confirmed up through oganesson (element 118), which was first made in 2002. All transuranium elements are radioactive and decay rapidly into lighter atoms.
These unstable synthetic elements have no practical uses because only a few atoms can be produced at a time. But they extend our knowledge of nuclear physics and chemistry.
Notable synthetic transuraniums include plutonium (94), americium (95), and californium (98). Plutonium’s fissile properties are harnessed in nuclear reactors and weapons. Americium provides smoke detectors’ ionizing radiation. Californium is a strong neutron emitter used to identify gold or silver ores.
Conclusion
In summary, the periodic table contains 118 known chemical elements. 92 of these occur naturally through cosmic nucleosynthesis and geological processes. The remaining 26 were artificially created in laboratories starting in the 20th century, expanding our knowledge of superheavy elements.
Whether created in the stars or human hands, the diversity of chemical elements drives the reactivity and complexity of our universe. Their unique properties underlie all matter and life.