Question

How can you test oxygen? Give any three physical and chemical properties of oxygen.

Answer 1

Part 1: Test for oxygen-

• A wooden splint burns in the air, but it burns more brightly in pure oxygen.
• If we put a glowing splint into a jar of pure oxygen, it will burst into a flame at once.
• This behavior of oxygen is commonly used as a test to identify it.

Part 2:Physical properties of oxygen-

• Oxygen is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas.
• It is slightly heavier than air.
• It is slightly soluble in water.

Part 3: Chemical properties of oxygen-

1. Combustibility- Oxygen acts as a supporter of burning or combustion but itself is not a combustible gas.
2. Action with litmus- Oxygen does not change the color of litmus paper, which means that oxygen is neutral in nature.
3. Action with metals- When metals react with the oxygen they form metal oxide.

• Let us understand it with an example-
• $\underset{\mathrm{Magnesium}}{2\mathrm{Mg}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Magnesium}\mathrm{oxide}}{2\mathrm{MgO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$
• In the above reaction, magnesium is burning in the air and it reacts with oxygen to form Magnesium oxide.