What is oxygen?

Oxygen in the periodic table

Oxygen is a chemical element of group 16 of the periodic table with the symbol O and atomic number 16. It is an essential element for living cells in respiratory and combustion processes. Oxygen is a member of the chalcogen family on the periodic table.

Properties

It is a reactive element that forms oxides with every chemical element except helium, neon, krypton, and argon.

• Relative atomic mass: 15.999
• State at 20°C: Gas
• Melting point: −218.79 °C
• Boiling point: −182.962 °C
• Density (g/cm3): 0.001308
• CAS number: 7782–44–7
• Chem Spider ID: 140526

In normal conditions, oxygen is a colourless, odourless diatomic gaseous molecule that also exists in triatomic form. It is moderately soluble in water that makes fish and other aquatic life in rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Facts about oxygen

• It is an abundant element in the Earth’s crust and is found in air one-fifth in volume.
• Earth's crust is composed mainly of silicon-oxygen minerals and many other oxides of periodic table elements.
• Most oxygen present in the Earth’s atmosphere comes from the photosynthesis of plants. Photosynthesis uses energy from the sun to split water into oxygen and hydrogen gases.
• Oxygen molecules are colourless, odourless, and insipid gas in a normal state.
• Liquid oxygen is slightly paramagnetic in nature.
• The gaseous molecules are moderately soluble in water.
• Dioxygen and trioxygen are the two common allotropes of oxygen. Ozone is the most reactive allotrope of oxygen that may damage our lung tissue and protect us from harmful UV radiation.
• O-16, O-17, and O-18 are the three naturally occurring stable isotopes of the element oxygen.
• It is essential for all forms of life because oxygen is a component of all biologically important compounds
• Our lungs are picked up oxygen at the center of the iron atoms in hemoglobin in the blood and transported it to our body.
• Highly concentrated sources of oxygen promote rapid combustion of other materials.

Uses of oxygen

• The greatest commercial use of oxygen gas is in the melting, refining, and manufacturing of steel and other metals.
• Large quantities of oxygen are also used for making a wide range of chemicals including nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide.
• It is used in the mining and production of stone and glass products.
• It is also used for manufacturing epoxyethane or ethylene oxide that is used as an antifreeze and makes polyester, chloroethene, PVC, etc.
• Oxygen is used as fuel in rocket propulsion.
• It is used in oxy-acetylene welding and cutting of metals.
• Oxygen is used is in the treatment of sewage and effluent comes from various industries.

References

https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/8/oxygen

https://www.priyamstudycentre.com/2020/08/oxygen.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Oxygen