Which of the following lists contains only elements that are among the ten most abundant in the human body by mass?

• A. Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Calcium
• B. Sodium, Chlorine, Iron, Zinc, Copper
• C. Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon
• D. Phosphorus, Sulfur, Magnesium, Lead, Mercury

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the problem by identifying the ten most abundant elements in the human body by mass. These elements are typically involved in biological processes and structural components. The most abundant elements include Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Sodium, and Magnesium.
2. Step 2: Analyze each list provided in the problem and compare the elements in each list to the ten most abundant elements in the human body. Eliminate any list that contains elements not among the ten most abundant.
3. Step 3: For the first list (Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Calcium), check if all elements are among the ten most abundant. These elements are indeed part of the ten most abundant in the human body.
4. Step 4: For the second list (Sodium, Chlorine, Iron, Zinc, Copper), note that while Sodium is among the ten most abundant, Chlorine, Iron, Zinc, and Copper are trace elements and not among the ten most abundant by mass.
5. Step 5: For the third list (Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon), recognize that these are noble gases and not biologically relevant elements in the human body. For the fourth list (Phosphorus, Sulfur, Magnesium, Lead, Mercury), note that Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Magnesium are among the ten most abundant, but Lead and Mercury are toxic heavy metals and not abundant in the human body.