Final answer:
Option D: Aluminum is the most easily oxidized element from the provided options, as it readily loses electrons to react with oxygen, much more so than the other listed elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
Of the following elements, aluminum is the most easily oxidized. Elements are oxidized when they lose electrons during a chemical reaction, often involving oxygen. On the list provided, aluminum is the most reactive metal and therefore the most prone to oxidation. Unlike gold, which is highly unreactive, or oxygen and fluorine, which are more commonly the oxidizing agents rather than being oxidized themselves, aluminum readily reacts with oxygen to form aluminum oxide, indicating its ease of oxidation.
Fluorine is the most easily oxidized element. It is the most powerful oxidizing agent of all known elements. Fluorine readily reacts with almost all other elements, forming binary fluorides. It is so strong that many substances ignite on contact with it, and even drops of water can inflame in fluorine.