Question

Given the makeup of the human body, what compound do you think accounts for the high percentage of oxygen?

Short answer

Water is a compound responsible for accounting for high oxygen percentage in the human body. This compound can be found in all three states (vapor, solid, as well as liquid).

Step-by-step solution

Compound

The compound is also referred to as a mixture as it consists of two or more elements combined in a particular ratio. One of the examples of compounds is sodium chloride. The common name of sodium chloride is salt.

It is one of the organic compounds that is required by the human body in an essential manner. One of the functions played by sodium chloride (NaCl) in the body is maintaining blood pressure.

Water

Water refers to a compound containing a hydrogen atom and an oxygen atom in a particular ratio. These elements are present in a ratio of 2:1, which means that water contains two hydrogen atoms and a single oxygen atom.

The human body is mainly composed of water with a percentage of approximately 60%.The chemical formula associated with water is H₂O.

Oxygen percentage

Water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom; however, the mass number of oxygens is comparatively greater than hydrogen. Oxygen is responsible for contributing more to body mass. Thus, water is the main compound that has a high percentage of oxygen.