Final answer:
Compounds B) are the most common type of matter found in nature, consisting of two or more elements chemically combined in a fixed ratio, unlike mixtures, which are physically combined substances.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of matter most commonly found in nature is compounds. While elements are the simplest forms of matter composed of one type of atom, compounds consist of two or more elements chemically combined in a fixed ratio. Compounds are abundant because they make up most of the substances we encounter, including water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and table salt (NaCl). On the other hand, a mixture is a physical combination of two or more substances, which can be elements and/or compounds, that are not chemically bonded together. Mixtures can be heterogeneous (like soil, where the composition is not uniform) or homogeneous (like air, which is uniform in composition).