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Most Common Elements in the Human Body

Try to name the 12 most abundant elements in the human body.
Source: Wikipedia
Quiz by zxcvbnm
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Last updated: December 6, 2019
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First submittedNovember 30, 2012
Times taken138,897
Average score66.7%
Rating4.72
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Proportion
Element
65%
Oxygen
18%
Carbon
10%
Hydrogen
3%
Nitrogen
1.4%
Calcium
1.1%
Phosphorus
Proportion
Element
0.25%
Potassium
0.25%
Sulfur
0.15%
Chlorine
0.15%
Sodium
0.05%
Magnesium
0.006%
Iron
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101 Recent Comments
Mikethemangler
+10
Level 20
Nov 22, 2013
Is this by mass or mole fraction?
TomatosRaafatos
+26
Level 75
Mar 29, 2017
I think mass fraction, because if it was moles hydrogen would top the list. The main reason Oxygen has such a high percentage is because of its larger atomic weight.
tshalla
+5
Level 77
Oct 21, 2018
I was wondering: if as much of the human body is H2O as is often said, then how could the H not be a higher percentage? I guess you've offered the explanation.
Xenobiologista
+1
Level 59
Jan 25, 2021
Yeah, that makes more sense.
MarcellDAvis
+3
Level 78
May 31, 2022
It is by mass. By mole fraction, hydrogen is the most common by far with about 60%, followed by oxygen with 24% and carbon with 12%. Nitrogen is far off with 1% and the rest is just fractions of a percent.
Arp2600
+10
Level 87
Dec 12, 2014
This must be a massic proportion, there are way more hydrogen atoms than oxygen atoms, but oxygen is sixteen times heavier than hydrogen. Given that the human body consists of two thirds of water, and that most of water's mass is due to oxygen, this seems logical.
sillie
+1
Level 76
Jan 3, 2015
I must have spelled it "phosporous" or something. I did guess it!
kalbahamut
+13
Level 81
Jan 3, 2015
Shouldn't high fructose corn syrup be on here?
postwaste
+25
Level 86
Jan 3, 2015
Only for Americans.
kalbahamut
+14
Level 81
Jan 3, 2015
That's true. Non-Americans are usually full of something, though I'm not always sure what.
leckscheid
+1
Level 37
Mar 31, 2017
Mexicans too
Charliezard
+1
Level 66
Dec 15, 2021
Mexicans are non-Americans...?
CalebUSA123
+1
Level 27
Apr 8, 2022
Not true, talk to Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia about that.
ShievaAndGolly
+3
Level 58
Apr 18, 2022
Not all Americans are fat, believe it or not.
funnyvalentine
+4
Level 48
May 28, 2022
shh don't tell them, they want to maintain their illusion
kalbahamut
+3
Level 81
May 28, 2022
Charlielizard: unless they have dual citizenship or are Mexican-Americans, then, yes, of course, they are non-American. American meaning, obviously, as is near universally understood, people with citizenship in the United States of America. As opposed to Mexicans, which are people with citizenship in the United States of Mexico (or Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), the country immediately to the south. That's how the English-language demonyms have been used around the entire world for the past several hundred years. Hope this clears things up for you.
madeleinejs
+1
Level 48
Aug 9, 2022
america is 2 continents, not 1 country
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Aug 10, 2022
How could America (a singular noun) be 2 continents? That doesn't even make sense. It's not a region or a hemisphere. North America is 1 continent. South America is 1 continent. Together they might be called "The Americas." America is 1 country. Not hard to understand this unless you're being deliberately obtuse or antagonistic. But of course some people enjoy that. Cue said people to comment below...
Louisea52
+1
Level 21
Mar 29, 2016
thats not an element
Walacama
+10
Level 82
Jan 3, 2017
The FDA just approved HFC as a new element. Red 40 Lake as well.
WolfCam
+1
Level 67
Sep 10, 2017
Don't forget fructose, glucose, and all the other "ose"s.
Sifhraven
+1
Level 73
Dec 20, 2018
sucrose saccharose maltose (cant think of others...)
tally24
+2
Level 43
May 19, 2023
those aren't elements
gccwang24
+2
Level 52
Mar 2, 2019
That's just carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen
mw22
+4
Level 55
Apr 14, 2020
I'm down to the last seconds, and I guess vitamins...
pctjunkie
+14
Level 90
Jan 3, 2015
Pretty sure my body is at least 2% Cheez-its.
FractalDoom
+3
Level 43
Jan 3, 2015
If you weigh 100lbs and eat 1lb of tacos, are you 1% taco? Yes.
MagentaDog790
+2
Level 38
Aug 26, 2015
lol
Swanbabe
+1
Level 38
May 28, 2016
Haha genius
jajaco2017
+1
Level 57
Mar 29, 2017
:-)
DiscoBayGolfer
+1
Level 79
Mar 29, 2017
BigCheesy for the win
quizmaster829
+1
Level 14
Dec 19, 2017
yes :)
AntiMatter8192
+3
Level 74
May 17, 2020
Actually, the percentage would be even less because of the air you take along with the taco. Later, this air would come out of your mouth as a burp.
dunkinggandalf2
+8
Level 70
Dec 29, 2020
Actually, if you weigh 100 pounds and eat 1 pound of tacos, you now weigh 101 pounds, so you're just 0.9900990099 % taco. #maths
Charliezard
+3
Level 66
Dec 15, 2021
It should be: "If I weigh 99 pounds and I eat 1 pound of taco..."
ander217
+9
Level 75
Jan 3, 2015
For a few of my friends, silicon would have to figure high on the list.
Panifex
+2
Level 28
May 21, 2016
That's silicone, if I get your joke.
sulfuratus
+5
Level 68
Mar 29, 2017
Well, guess what silicone to a large part consists of.

Clue's in the name.

Geomaster123
+2
Level 43
Jan 7, 2015
Everything but phosphorus
Xenorstar
+2
Level 55
Dec 7, 2022
I got all right by entering random elements
MBAMatt
+12
Level 80
Oct 5, 2015
Am I the only one who thought of that Breaking Bad episode when I did this quiz?
Malbaby
+3
Level 70
Jan 13, 2016
Yes.
LuckyPunk
+3
Level 78
Mar 29, 2017
No
SmokeMan
+4
Level 62
Apr 2, 2017
No, that episode came to mind immediately for me, as well. ;-)
heisenburger
+2
Level 41
May 28, 2022
its been forever since ive seen that! but i immediately thought of it LOL
kariannepizza
+7
Level 50
Jan 13, 2016
I couldn't spell the English word for phosphorus, the Norwegian word is so much easier: fosfor.
TGCML
+1
Level 24
May 20, 2016
I go with: 1. Organic compounds...C. 2. Water...H&O. 3. Proteins...N. 4. Nucleic acids...P. 5. Bones...Ca. 6. Nerve...Na&K. 7. Salts...Cl. 8. I can't think of anymore. Try from atomic number 1, skipping those that are not gonna be here...Mg,S&Fe

I feel bad to face the need of using the last method; I should be able to tell those elements as a biology student...:(

MindWax
+2
Level 85
May 30, 2024
This guy's developed a novel new strategy for completing a quiz called "think of and then type in the correct answers"
DrakiGuy
+2
Level 59
Jan 3, 2017
Surprised Iodine isn't hear. I always hear how it's good for you.

Nice quiz!

tom88
+1
Level 75
Jun 11, 2019
ya, I tried that too, but I think when it comes to iodine in your body, a little bit goes a long way, so you never have much in your body
HectorVortac
+4
Level 47
Mar 22, 2017
C. HOPKINS CaFe, Mighty good (Mg) with a pinch of salt (NaCl). Learned this in college.
Briefhappenstance
+2
Level 22
Mar 22, 2017
A year of organic chemistry and a career in health care and I couldn't come up with carbon. The main man of O-chem. *facepalm*
BobSaget
+2
Level 78
Mar 29, 2017
With all the fish I eat, I'm pretty sure mercury should be on this list.
ander217
+2
Level 75
Mar 29, 2017
Add that to the fillings in our teeth and the preservatives in our vaccines. Not to mention how we used to "play" with mercury in high school chemistry class because it was so cool to watch it rolling around in the palms of our hands. I wonder how I've survived so many decades. :)
redboter
+1
Level 45
Mar 29, 2017
I'm surprised. I got the 7 most common.
jajaco2017
+1
Level 57
Mar 29, 2017
Gold

3×10−9

caribdevist
+1
Level 61
Mar 29, 2017
One day I'll learn to science.
Ryanlee
+1
Level 77
Apr 23, 2017
Chlorine?????? I am so scared.
WolfCam
+4
Level 67
Sep 10, 2017
That's why all my friends smell like pool water!
tom88
+3
Level 75
Jun 11, 2019
salt is sodium chloride, most people eat it all the time. Chlorine is only a problem when there is a lot of pure chlorine around, and pretty much anything is poisonous at high enough doses
AoLong
+1
Level 16
Jul 26, 2017
I might have spelled "pottasium" or what ever...
mahble
+2
Level 78
Sep 10, 2017
Why did so few people get chlorine? Anyone heard of Hydrochloric acid?
ander217
+6
Level 75
Sep 25, 2017
Or sodium chloride?
Chutney
+1
Level 62
Sep 18, 2020
now hwhy hwould you need 6 tubs of hydrochloric acid? sir, this is a huendys
Malbaby
+1
Level 70
Sep 10, 2017
Like questions on elements ...…..Try this one
RobNobody
+1
Level 79
Jan 24, 2018
Aw frig, how did I forget SALT?
GeoGuy8
+1
Level 66
Jul 16, 2018
I'd honestly think Hydrogen would be more abundant than Oxygen, because 75% of the Human Body is made of Water, and Water is made of 66.6% of Hydrogen. Correct me if I'm wrong (which I probably am), but I'd think that would compromise at least 50%. Also, you probably won't count this, but Hydrogen is the "building block" to every element, so I'd think the abundance of hydrogen would be greater than 10%. I think it deserves at least 30%.
TWM03
+3
Level 72
Aug 13, 2018
This quiz is going by total atomic mass, not number of atoms. Water has twice as many hydrogen as oxygen atoms, but oxygen atoms are 16 times heavier than hydrogen atoms, so water is counted as 8/9 oxygen.
TWM03
+1
Level 72
Aug 13, 2018
And hydrogen can be made into other elements by nuclear fusion, but when that happens it ceases to be hydrogen. This is a chemistry quiz so that wouldn't count anyway.
Dimby
+3
Level 79
Dec 13, 2021
Pretty sure there isn't much nuclear fusion happening in most human bodies.
bleachbunny
+1
Level 42
Jul 16, 2018
shoutout to fma hahah
anna0kear
+1
Level 35
Jul 18, 2018
Excuse my nit-picking, but shouldn't the title be most ABUNDANT elements, instead of common?
Sifhraven
+1
Level 73
Dec 20, 2018
Didnt get the two least guessed ones. Interesting how high iron is
EthanColaco
+1
Level 28
Mar 1, 2019
C'mon that was frigging easy!
RogerMellie
+1
Level 24
May 17, 2020
Who gets sodium but not chlorine? They're both the same value, there's a clue there.
seabird
+1
Level 68
May 23, 2020
I guessed Chlorine but not Sodium.
AntiMatter8192
+2
Level 74
May 17, 2020
Please could you add Phosporus as a type-in?
stevediverse
+3
Level 88
May 19, 2020
And Bosporus.
SpartanLlama
+1
Level 73
Aug 17, 2021
55 seconds
BlackLab
+1
Level 66
Dec 13, 2021
Urine is P.P. (with n)
nibba2
+1
Level 26
Jan 14, 2022
please accept urianium and plutonium:(
scarysouptimes
+1
Level 57
Aug 9, 2022
Uranium and plutonium are not the most common elements in the human body. This quiz lists the 12 most common elements of the periodic table in your body. Uranium is the 5th least common element in the body, approximately 0.0000001% or 1 out of 10 million molecules of your body is uranium. Meanwhile, literally none of your body is plutonium, making your comment absolutely ridiculous.
PumpkintheNerd
+1
Level 40
Jul 21, 2022
I guessed neon!
AkiraMorishita
+1
Level 53
Aug 9, 2022
Gold?

Jk

Geopro
+1
Level 59
Aug 9, 2022
I guess some people have a good tooth
jf15
+3
Level 63
Aug 9, 2022
Odd how many people will get sodium but not chlorine.
teribltylr
+1
Level 45
Dec 15, 2022
ikr, despite the fact that they ingest chlorine almost every time they ingest sodium... it's basically goofy people like my mother, who dropped out of 9th grade
communisteggplant
+1
Level 74
Aug 11, 2022
Please accept heart, guts, and/or toughness thx
AllOfSanMarino
+1
Level 67
Dec 4, 2023
I genuinely cannot tell if this is satire
tallpotatoperson
+1
Level 70
Dec 14, 2022
I somehow managed to forget to type nitrogen. I'll see myself out.
AwesomePotato170
+1
Level 61
Feb 6, 2023
For some reason I entered petroleum, probably because it ends with an M
CrescentShrey
+1
Level 43
Dec 24, 2023
how can we be 70% water and then not have 23% hydrogen?
DukeOfLorraine
+1
Level 65
Apr 1, 2025
I guess it's counted in mass.

For H2O, hydrogen is only 2/18 of the mass as oxygen is much heavier (16 g/mol vs 1 for hydrogen). As opposed to 2/3 if it was molar, where it should be 47% from water alone.

MalyJacus
+1
Level 59
Aug 7, 2024
Easy, if you took o-chem or biochem.
Cooldude185
+1
Level 57
Aug 29, 2024
I got all of them except Iron.

IRON.

ColinShadow
+1
Level 55
Sep 3, 2024
Me: Ok, I know this... wanna troll it once lol

*inputs Radon*

Koopa
+1
Level 82
Mar 31, 2025
One step ahead of ya
Liamdoesquizzes
+2
Level 44
Nov 14, 2024
All the elements added up make up 99.356% of your body, only the top 6 make up 98.5%, the top 3 make up 93%, and the top two make up 83%, It’s surprising to learn that since it looks like our bodies are made up of many things, when it’s mostly just a couple
DukeOfLorraine
+1
Level 65
Apr 1, 2025
Our body is 60-80% water which is only 2 elements. And we find oxygen and hydrogen in nearly every other compound in our body. So it quickly adds up.
Matumbo
+1
Level 50
Mar 31, 2025
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SOUL???
Ainmclarach
+1
Level 66
Mar 31, 2025
Gotta pump the lead numbers up.
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