O2 is an expression we use for oxygen molecules with 2 atoms. At its purest form, oxygen is an elemental gas that exists at room temperature and is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. Two oxygen atoms combine to form an oxygen molecule, which is where the name O2 originates. Almost every living being on this earth needs oxygen to survive. It is essential for respiration because the body uses oxygen to break down food molecules.
Oxygen is the eighth chemical element. It has the atomic number 8 and the chemical symbol O. It is a very reactive nonmetal element and a chalcogen group member in the periodic table. It is also an oxidising agent that readily produces oxides with most elements and other compounds. After helium and hydrogen, oxygen is the element that is found in the greatest abundance on Earth and in the universe. At ambient pressure and temperature, two of the element's atoms unite to form dioxygen, a diatomic gas with the formula O2.
Some common uses are as follows:
For mining purposes.
For manufacturing various chemicals.
For rocket propulsion.
For the production of stones.
For manufacturing glass products.
For biological and medical support of living beings.
In the treatment of several diseases.
Some significance of oxygen is enlisted below:
The most significant use of oxygen in animals is breathing, and in humans, our respiratory and circulatory systems transport oxygen to our cells and organs.
It is vital for the nourishment of brain cells.
Oxygen helps to constitute the most crucial stratospheric layer of the earth’s atmosphere.
It helps in boosting the immune system.
Scientist Joseph Priestley 1774 discovered oxygen as an independent element
Sir Antoine Lavoisier coined the word ‘Oxygen’ in 1777.
The percentage of O2 in the atmosphere is 21%.
Oxygen is essential for respiration in living beings.
The atomic mass of oxygen is 15.99 amu.