Oxygen

Symbol	O
Atomic Number	8
Atomic Mass	15.999 g.mol-1
Discovered by	Joseph Priestly in 1774

Table of Contents

• Chemical Properties of Oxygen
• What is Oxygen?
• Uses of Oxygen
• Physical Properties of Oxygen
• Other Important Information
• Recommended Videos

Chemical Properties of Oxygen

What is Oxygen?

• Oxygen is a member of the chalcogen group on the periodic table. It is an essential element in most combustion processes.
• It is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust.

Uses of Oxygen

• It is used in the production and manufacturing of glass and stone products, and in mining.
• Special oxygen chambers are used in case of high pressure to increase the partial pressure of oxygen around the patient.
• The primary applications of oxygen include melting, refining, and manufacturing of steel along with other metals.

Physical Properties of Oxygen

• The gas is colourless, odourless and insipid in a normal state. Liquid oxygen is slightly paramagnetic. It is reactive and forms oxides with every element except helium, neon, krypton, and argon. It is moderately soluble in water.
• Dioxygen is one of the common allotropes of oxygen.
• Trioxygen is the most reactive allotrope of oxygen that would cause damage to lung tissue. This allotrope is termed ozone.

Other Important Information

• O-16, O-17, and O-18 are the three naturally occurring stable isotopes of Oxygen.
• Oxygen is characterised by a paramagnetic property.

Recommended Videos