Question

What are the two allotropes of oxygen?

Answer 1

1. Allotropy is defined as the existence of a chemical element in two or more distinct forms in a similar physical state.
2. The different physical forms of an element are called its allotropes.
3. For example - coal, diamond, graphite, and fullerenes exist as different physical forms of carbon and thus are the allotropes of carbon.
4. The allotropes of Oxygen are

i) Dioxygen (${\mathrm{O}}_2$):

1. It is the most common form of Oxygen allotrope which is an invisible gas that has 20% of the gases in the atmosphere.
2. There are four electrons shared and each Oxygen atom contains two lone pairs of electrons.

ii) Ozone (${\mathrm{O}}_3$):

1. Three Oxygen atoms are bonded together.
2. Oxygen absorbs the ultraviolet light that breaks the double bond between the two Oxygen atoms and forms ozone (${\mathrm{O}}_3$).
3. The reaction describes the formation of ozone.
   $3{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)+\mathrm{UV}\mathrm{light}\to 2{\mathrm{O}}_3\left(\mathrm{g}\right)$