Oxygen: The Breath of Life!

Element: OXYGEN Symbol: O

DISCOVERY
8

• By JOSEPH PRIESTLEY on August 1, 1774. Wiltshire, England and

independently by CARL WILHELM SCHEELE in 1772,Uppsala, Sweden.
• He perform an experiment in which he heated a substance called mercuric oxide
(HgO) and observed the release of a gas that he called "dephlogisticated air."
This gas was later identified as oxygen.
• He found that this gas can make candles burn brighter and longer. JOSEPH PRIESTLEY
• Name "oxygen" was coined by ANTOINE LAVOISIER.

COINED BY :
CHEMICAL FACTS LEWIS STRUCTURE The name "oxygen" was coined by
OF OXYGEN
oAtomic number 8, Atomic mass 15.9994 u Antoine Lavoisier. The name
• Non-metal oxygen comes from the Greek word
•State of element at room temperature: Gas "oxygenes" meaning "acid producer".

O
•Melting point: -218.4 °C It was called this because early
•Boiling point: -182.9 °C chemists thought that oxygen was
•Group #: 16 necessary for all acids.
•Period #: 2
USES OF OXYGEN
BREATHING OXIDIZING AGENT OXYGEN TANKS
Every living creature uses oxygen for In missiles and rockets, liquid oxygen is Compressed oxygen tanks are used by
breathing and respiration. frequently used as an oxidizing agent. mountaineers at high elevations to
We need oxygen to breathe and When combined with liquid hydrogen, counteract the decreased O2 pressure at
survive. this reaction generates the powerful these altitudes.
thrust required for takeoff.

OXYGEN MAKES UP HALF OF THE EARTH’S

OXYGEN IS NOT FLAMMABLE
Oxygen is an oxidizer, meaning it will make other
substances more flammable, but is not flammable
itself. This may seem counter-intuitive if you know
that oxygen is necessary for fire.
CRUST
Oxygen is the most abundant element in the earth’s
crust; over 46% of the weight of the earth’s crust is
made of oxygen. Roughly 90% of the earth’s crust
consists of just five elements – oxygen, silicon,
aluminum, iron, and calcium.