Oxygen (O)
"The Life-Giver, the hero essential for all respiration and the fuel for every fire."
A memorable persona to anchor O in your mind.
1.429
Grams per cm³
-218.79
Celsius (°C)
152
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
The air we breathe to live.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1774
Discovered By
Carl Wilhelm Scheele & Joseph Priestley
Origin of Name
"The name comes from the Greek ''oxy genes'', meaning acid forming."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
15.999 u
Standard State
gas
Boiling Point
-182.962°C
Electron Configuration
[He] 2s22p4
1st Ionization Energy
13.618 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"A colorless, odorless, tasteless diatomic gas."
Did You Know?
It is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust, making up almost half of its mass.
While essential for life, pure oxygen was a toxic pollutant for early life on Earth before organisms evolved to use it.
Liquid and solid oxygen are a pale blue color.
The brilliant red and green colors of the aurora borealis are caused by energized oxygen atoms in the upper atmosphere.