Final answer:
The correct minerals that contain the two most abundant elements by mass (oxygen and silicon) in the Earth’s crust are Quartz and Feldspar, and hence, the answer to the student's question is option A) Quartz and Feldspar.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question asks which minerals contain the two most abundant elements by mass in the Earth’s crust. Given that silicate minerals are the most prevalent in the Earth’s crust and that oxygen and silicon are the most abundant elements, with oxygen comprising about 47% by weight and silicon about 28% by weight, this helps narrow down our options.
Among the listed options, we can eliminate the ones that are not primarily silicate minerals. For instance, calcite and dolomite are carbonates, hematite and magnetite are oxides, and gypsum and halite are sulfates and chlorides, respectively. This leaves us with option A) Quartz and Feldspar, as these are both silicate minerals. Quartz is made up of silicon dioxide (SiO2), and feldspar is a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals that contain varying amounts of potassium, sodium, and calcium along with silicon and oxygen.
Granite, which is composed of quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase feldspar, and biotite, is an excellent example of these minerals coming together to form a common rock type. Therefore, based on the information presented, the correct option in the final answer is A) Quartz and Feldspar.