How Many Elements on the Periodic Table of the Elements Occur Naturally?
The answer to the question of how many objects on the periodic table of the elements are naturally occurring is actually a bit complicated. Conventional wisdom says that the first 92 elements, from element one, hydrogen, to element 92, uranium, are all naturally occurring, but in fact some of these elements are highly unstable, and have only been observed when they have been created artificially. Some people believe that elements 93 (neptunium) and 94 (plutonium) should also be included on a list of naturally occurring elements. As a result, anywhere between 94 and 88 elements are “naturally occurring,” depending on the definition one is using.
