Why do astronomers consider everything heavier than helium to be a metal?
In: Physics
It’s simple lazy label for ease of use.
Astronomy very, very rarely has to worry about chemical reactions, which is when we need to worry about the properties of metals.
The big thing is that hydrogen and helium make up a huge majority of what we can observe, so we need a simple catch all term for “all the rest” of the elements. And lithium is the first metallic element… So everything beyond that is lumped in as a metal. There is no real need in the field to make a finer distinction than that.
The fact that it irks chemists is a delightful bonus.
Latest Answers