| Element | Approximate
% by weight | |
| Oxygen | 46.6 | |
| Silicon | 27.7 | |
| Aluminum | 8.1 | |
| Iron | 5.0 | |
| Calcium | 3.6 | |
| Sodium | 2.8 | |
| Potassium | 2.6 | |
| Magnesium | 2.1 | |
| All others | 1.5 | |
| Given the abundance of oxygen and silicon in the crust, it should not be surprising that the most abundant minerals in the earth's crust are the silicates. Although the Earth's material must have had the same composition as the Sun originally, the present composition of the Sun is quite different.
These general element abundances are reflected in the composition of igneous rocks.
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