UNCLE RAYS NOTES Oxygen is Leading Element In Known Part of Earth Do you know which element in the earths crust is the most common? The answer is oxygen. Oxygen is a gas, but it combines with various minerals and becomes fixed. Rust is produced when oxygen combines with iron. Many other elements also hold oxygen in the earths crust. In addition, oxygen makes up slightly more than one fifth of the air (by both weight and volume) and 33 per cent of pure water by volume. By weight, oxygen makes up about 89 per cent of pure water. When I speak of oxygen as the most common element in the earths crust, I refer to the parts of the earth which we know. Below the outer coating of the earth, the fact very likely is different. It is reasonable to suggest that most of the heavier elements have sunk toward the center. Many scientists believe that the earth has a core of metal which is made up largely of iron. It is supposed that this core is a ball about 4,000 miles in diameter. Whatever the truth in regard to the inside of the earth, the outside coating has oxygen as the chief element. The oxygen which we breathe into our lungs is a clear gas without color or taste. If a human being lost his entire supply of oxygen, he would die in a few minutes. There is an old statement that we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, but that tells only part of the story. We breathe in all the elements in the air around us, chiefly nitrogen and oxygen. We breathe out the nitrogen, along with some of the oxygen and other gases in the air, The outgoing breath also contains a certain amount of waste gas carbon dioxide. Cases have been reported of newborn infants, on the point of death from lack of air in their lungs, being saved when someone breathed into their mouths. If a person used up all the oxygen in the air he took in, none could be transferred in such an event, but we breathe out more than half of the oxygen which we take into our lungs. For Science section of your scrapbook. Magic tricks and games appear in the new Uncle Ray leaflet entitled Puzzles, Tricks and Fun. This is mailed without charge to any reader who sends a stamped, self addressed envelope to Uncle Ray in care of The Salt Lake Tribune. Friday, July 24, 1953 Very hot day. We all attended the Parade good ate dinner at home Robert & Wife, Oertel & Mother & I Later we went down to Cleones & Royals for ice cream. We do not go to Rodao. Robert & Wife went up the Canyon to Brewers Camp. They will stay here to nite and go back to Provo in morning. Quiet day. We have been home except for the Parade. Retire early Saturday, July 25, 1953 Nice day but warm I went down town for brief time. Had hair cut & Went to bank Dr Lynn Crookston and Wendy his little girl came this evening and will stay for the night. Recd letter from Avon today Have read some.