<span>The </span>abundance of a chemical element<span> is a measure of the </span>occurrence<span> of the </span>element<span> relative to all other elements in a given environment. Abundance is measured in one of three ways: by the </span>mass-fraction<span> (the same as weight fraction); by the </span>mole-fraction<span> (fraction of atoms by numerical count, or sometimes fraction of molecules in gases); or by the </span>volume-fraction<span>. Volume-fraction is a common abundance measure in mixed gases such as planetary atmospheres, and is similar in value to molecular mole-fraction for gas mixtures at relatively low densities and pressures, and </span>ideal gas<span> mixtures. Most abundance values in this article are given as mass-fractions.
