Question map
Which of the following elements are found in highest and lowest quantities respectively in the crust of the earth?
Explanation
The Earth's crust is primarily composed of eight major elements. Oxygen is the most abundant element, constituting approximately 46.1% to 46.6% of the crust by mass. Silicon follows as the second most abundant at roughly 27.7% to 28.2%. Other significant elements include aluminum (8.1%), iron (5.0%), calcium (3.6%), sodium (2.8%), and potassium (2.6%). Among the major elements listed in the options, magnesium is found in the lowest quantity within the crust, accounting for approximately 2.1% to 2.33% of its mass. While magnesium is more prevalent in the Earth's mantle (23%) and the Earth as a whole (12.7%), it is the least abundant of the primary crustal elements mentioned in the provided choices. Therefore, oxygen and magnesium represent the highest and lowest quantities respectively among the given pairs.
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 4: Earths Interior > The Mantle > p. 54