What is the core of earth made of
Biology · High School · Thu Feb 04 2021
Answered on
Unlike the mineral-rich crust and mantle, the core is made almost entirely of metal—specifically, iron and nickel. The used for the core's iron-nickel alloys is simply the elements' chemical symbols—NiFe.
Elements that dissolve in iron, called siderophiles, are also found in the core. Because these elements are found much more rarely on Earth’s crust, many siderophiles are classified as “precious metals.” Siderophile elements include gold, platinum, and cobalt. Another key element in Earth’s core is sulfur—in fact 90% of the sulfur on Earth is found in the core.