Element
Elements are the different varieties of atoms that exist. They are the basic components of matter, which cannot be broken down into smaller parts (except by much higher energy nuclear reactions). The twenty or so heaviest are so unstable they only ever occur in intentional lab experiments, and even then not for very long.
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Overview
Each element has distinct chemical properties in its pure form. The various elements are related due to the rather repetitious and simplistic structures that recur as they get larger, probably due to our creator's laziness. These similarities allow the elements to be grouped in the Bible of Chemistry, known as the Periodic Table.
gollark: That is actually not accounting for weather, just the solar irradiance averaged out over the surface of Earth.
gollark: Oh yes, true, you need to have a large body of water.
gollark: The waste is not actually a problem since you can just bury it somewhere stable forever.
gollark: Meanwhile, nuclear can produce basically arbitrary amounts of power regardless of time of day with very little land requirement.
gollark: Wikipedia says that on average each bit of the Earth only gets about 400W/m², and they are not 75% efficient, so no.
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