99% of the mass of the human body consists of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus.
They are worth about $576. All the other elements taken together are worth only about $9 more.
For the calculations, I have assumed a mass of 80 kg, and the prices are the best estimates I could find.
Here are my calculations for the 16 most valuable elements. All the others add only another $0.13 to the total.
#color(white)(ml)"% by mass"color(white)(mll)"Mass/kg"color(white)(mmll)"$/kg"color(white)(m)"Value/$"#
#stackrel(————————————————————)("P"color(white)(mll)1.2color(white)(mmmml)1.0color(white)(mmmmm)300 color(white)(mmm)288)#
#"Ca"color(white)(m)1.6color(white)(mmmml)1.3color(white)(mmmmm)200 color(white)(mmm)256#
#"N"color(white)(mll)3.1color(white)(mmmmll)2.5color(white)(mmmmmll)4.00 color(white)(mmll)9.92 #
#"O"color(white)(m)65.0color(white)(mmmm)52.0color(white)(mmmmmm)0.16 color(white)(mmll)8.32 #
#"H"color(white)(m)10.2color(white)(mmmml)8.2color(white)(mmmmlmm)1.00 color(white)(mmll)8.16 #
#"F"color(white)(mll)3.7×10^"-3"color(white)(m)3.0×10^"-3"color(white)(ml) 1900 color(white)(mmmm)5.62#
#"C"color(white)(m)18.0color(white)(mmmm)14.4color(white)(mmmmmm)0.35 color(white)(mmll)5.04 #
#"Rb"color(white)(m)4.6×10^"-4"color(white)(m)3.7×10^"-4"color(white)(ml)5710 color(white)(mmmm)2.10 #
#"Au"color(white)(m)1.4×10^"-5"color(white)(m)1.1×10^"-5"color(white)(ll)40983 color(white)(mmmm)0.46 #
#"Na"color(white)(ll)0.15color(white)(mmmm)0.12color(white)(mmmmmm)2.7 color(white)(mmm)0.32 #
#"K"color(white)(ml)0.25color(white)(mmmm)0.20color(white)(mmmmmm)1.0 color(white)(mmm)0.20 #
#"Mg"color(white)(ll)5.0×10^"-2"color(white)(ml)4.0×10^"-2"color(white)(mmm)2.04 color(white)(mml)0.08 #
#"Zr"color(white)(ml)6.0×10^"-4"color(white)(m)4.8×10^"-4"color(white)(mml)150 color(white)(mmmll)0.07 #
#"S"color(white)(mll)0.25color(white)(mmmm)0.20color(white)(mmmmmm)0.35 color(white)(mml)0.07 #
#"Tl"color(white)(m)1.4×10^"-5"color(white)(ml)1.1×10^"-5"color(white)(mm)5143 color(white)(mmml)0.06 #
#"Sc" color(white)(m)1.4×10^"-5"color(white)(ml)1.1×10^"-5"color(white)(mm)4250 color(white)(mmml)0.05 #
#color(white)(m)color(white)(m)color(white)(mmmmmmmmmm)"TOTAL =" color(white)(mmll)585#
The results – phosphorus and calcium are the most valuable elements.
You'd better keep eating lots of sardine pizza! The fish and cheese are great sources of these elements.
