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Universe is more than 98% hydrogen and helium by mass, with all other being less than 2%. Maybe metal was not the best word for that, but having word for "all
by matkoniecz 5y ago
Universe is more than 98% hydrogen and helium by mass, with all other being less than 2%.
Maybe metal was not the best word for that, but having word for "all elements except hydrogen and helium" is useful in astronomy
see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallicity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallicity
- rob74 5y agoOk, so, maybe they could have, you know, invented a new word? Or picked another one which isn't putting them at odds with the chemists?
- KingOfCoders 5y agoIf it works for them.
- ben0x539 5y agoAstrophysics was probably a thing before chemistry, so maybe the chemists ought to have picked a different word!
- dtgriscom 5y agoTrue, but at that time nobody knew about hydrogen and helium in stars.