Oxygen Definition, Facts, Symbol, Discovery, Property, Uses (2024)

What is Oxygen

Oxygen (pronunciation: OK-si-jen) is a colorless element that belongs to the group of Chalcogens in the periodic table, and it is represented by the chemical symbol O ^{[1, 2, 3]}. A highly reactive non-metal, it can easily form oxides with most of the other elements and their compounds ^[3]. At room temperature, it is an odorless, tasteless diatomic gas characterized by the formula O₂ ^[3].

Isotopes

Oxygen has three-known stable isotopes, including ¹⁶O, ¹⁷O, and ¹⁸O with a natural abundance of 99.76%, 0.04%, and 0.20% respectively ^[4]. Radioactive isotopes from ¹²O to ²⁴O also exist out of which the longest-lived is ¹⁵O characterized by a half-life period of 122.24 seconds whereas the shortest-lived ¹²O has a half-life period of 580(30) X 10^-24 seconds ^[4].

Where is Oxygen Found

It is found in the Earth’s atmosphere, constituting 21% of the atmospheric volume ^[1]. Oxygen along with its compounds accounts for nearly two-thirds of the mass of the human body and 49.2% of the mass of the Earth’s crust ^[1].

Oxygen gas is commercially extracted by fractional distillation of liquefied air ^[1]. It can also be obtained by passing dry air through zeolite, a microporous mineral that can absorb nitrogen but leave oxygen ^[1]. Passing the air through a selectively permeable ceramic membrane can produce highly pure oxygen ^[1].

It can artificially be produced in the laboratory by using manganese (IV) oxide as a catalyst to decompose aqueous hydrogen peroxide or by electrolytic decomposition of water ^[1]. Oxygen is also formed when potassium chlorate (KClO₃) is heated strongly ^[2].

History

Origin of its Name: It is derived from ‘oxy genes’, Greek for “acid forming” ^{[1, 2]}

Who discovered it: The English chemist Joseph Priestly and the German-Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele are known for their independent discovery of oxygen ^{[1, 2]}.

When and How was it Discovered

Although several chemists had produced oxygen before its discovery, they all failed to identify it and describe its properties ^[2]. In 1608, the Dutch engineer Cornelius Drebbel showed that heating potassium nitrate (saltpeter) released a gas, which we now know was oxygen ^[1].

The credit for the discovery of oxygen can be given to three chemists – Joseph Priestley, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, and Antoine Lavoisier ^[1]. Having produced oxygen in 1774 in Wiltshire, England by heating mercuric oxide and collecting the gas that was released, Priestley published an account of his discovery ^[1]. He observed that the gas made breathing easier and caused a candle to burn more brightly ^[1].

Although Carl Wilhelm Scheele had successfully obtained oxygen in 1771 in Uppsala, Sweden, his written account got published in 1777 much later than that of Priestley ^[1]. The French chemist Antoine Lavoisier is known for proposing the name oxy-gene because he incorrectly believed that the new gas was essential to the formation of all acids ^[2].

Properties and Characteristics of Oxygen

Atomic Data of Oxygen (Element 8)

Its Uses

• Oxygen gas is commercially used in the steel industry for removing undesirable compounds and impurities during the forging process ^{[1, 12]}.
• Large amounts of oxygen are used to manufacture various chemicals like hydrogen peroxide and nitric acid ^[1]. Epoxyethane, a chemical used for producing antifreeze (chemicals added to water in automobile engines) is manufactured from oxygen ^[1].
• It can be used for making polyester and chloroethane, which is a precursor to PVC ^[1].
• The oxy-acetylene flame used in welding or cutting metals contains oxygen gas ^[1].
• It is now increasingly used for treating sewage and industrial effluent ^[1].
• Compressed oxygen gas is used in pneumatic tools, including riveters, drills, and paint sprayers ^[12].
• It is used in pediatric incubators in hospitals to help provide newborn babies the environmental safety they need when they are born prematurely ^[12].
• Rocket fuel has high oxygen content for increasing the burning rate ^[12].
• Astronauts, submariners, and scuba divers rely on artificially-delivered oxygen ^[3]. For deep-sea diving, oxygen is diluted with other gases like helium or nitrogen for preventing oxygen toxicity ^[3].

Biological Role of Oxygen

The element first appeared 2 billion years ago when photosynthesis of cyanobacteria resulted in a buildup of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere ^[1]

Photosynthesis uses solar energy to divide water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, from which the oxygen accumulates into the atmosphere while hydrogen along with carbon dioxide produces biomass ^[1].

Life on Earth now depends on oxygen because all living things need it for respiration and producing energy ^[1]. Since gaseous oxygen is soluble in water, aerobic bacteria can survive in lakes, rivers, and oceans ^[1].

Interesting Facts

• Oxygen liquefies at -183.0 °C and can cause frostbite after skin contact ^[8].
• Its graphical representation indicates its importance and existence in the air, and in combination with hydrogen, in water ^[1].
• Too little oxygen (below 17% by volume in the Earth’s atmosphere) can make breathing difficult for people while too much (above 25% in the atmosphere) can cause organic compounds to become highly flammable ^[1].
• Oxygen is produced at the center of stars, with nuclear fusion occurring between carbon-12 and helium-4 ^[8].

Cost of Oxygen

Canned oxygen usually costs less than $50 per unit [^13]. The price of 100 g of pure oxygen is about $0.3 while its price in bulk is $0.02 ^[14].

References
1. http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/8/oxygen
2. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele008.html
3. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-chemistry/chapter/oxygen/
4. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/iso008.html
5. https://www.webqc.org/molecular-weight-of-O.html
6. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/oxygen#section=Top
7. https://hobart.k12.in.us/ksms/PeriodicTable/oxygen.htm
8. https://www.livescience.com/28738-oxygen.html
9. http://periodictable.com/Elements/008/data.html
10. https://socratic.org/questions/how-many-valence-electrons-does-oxygen-have
11. http://chemistry-reference.com/q_elements.asp?language=en&Symbol=O
12. https://sciencing.com/10-uses-oxygen-8634456.html
13. Provider.inogen.com
14. https://www.chemicool.com/elements/oxygen.html