Final answer:
The mineral class that constitutes more than 95% of the continental crust is the silicates, which are based on silicon-oxygen tetrahedra and form various minerals like quartz and feldspar.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mineral class that makes up more than 95% of the continental crust is termed the silicates.
This is because silicate minerals are structures based around the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron and are incredibly abundant, comprising approximately 92% of all minerals found within Earth's crust.
Silicates are salts that contain anions composed of silicon and oxygen. They are the most extensive and diverse class of minerals on Earth. In terms of abundance, oxygen and silicon are the two most abundant elements in the earth's crust, which explains the predominance of silicate minerals such as quartz, feldspar, and mica in continental crustal rocks like granite.