The Earth's crust contains many elements, but their distribution by weight is uneven. Understanding the composition helps identify the most abundant element.
The approximate percentage by weight of the most common elements in the Earth's crust is as follows:
| Element | Approximate % by Weight |
| Oxygen (O) | 46.6% |
| Silicon (Si) | 27.7% |
| Aluminum (Al) | 8.1% |
| Iron (Fe) | 5.0% |
| Calcium (Ca) | 3.6% |
| Sodium (Na) | 2.8% |
| Potassium (K) | 2.6% |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 2.1% |
| Others | 1.5% |
Comparing the percentages, Oxygen is clearly the element with the highest contribution to the Earth's crust by weight.