Which of the following lists contains the eight most abundant elements in Earth's crust?

• A. O, C, N, H, S, Cl, P, F
• B. O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, S, Cl, Na
• C. Si, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Ag, Au
• D. O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, Mg

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the problem asks for the eight most abundant elements in Earth's crust, which are primarily determined by their natural abundance in the solid outer layer of the Earth.
2. Recall that oxygen (O) is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust, followed by silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg).
3. Compare each provided list to this known set of elements to identify which list matches the eight most abundant elements.
4. Note that elements like carbon (C), nitrogen (N), hydrogen (H), sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl), phosphorus (P), and fluorine (F) are not among the top eight in the crust, even though they are important in other contexts such as the atmosphere or biological systems.
5. Recognize that the list containing O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, and Mg correctly represents the eight most abundant elements in Earth's crust.