15.999
Atomic Mass (u)
-218.79 C
Melting Point
-182.96 C
Boiling Point
0.001308 g/cm3
Density
3.44
Electronegativity
[He] 2s2 2p4
Electron Config
2
Period
16
Group
📖 About Oxygen
The third most abundant element in the universe and essential for most life on Earth. Produced by photosynthesis and consumed by respiration. Liquid oxygen is a pale blue substance used as rocket oxidizer. Ozone (O3) forms the stratospheric layer that shields Earth from harmful UV radiation.
🔧 Uses and Applications
- Medical oxygen therapy
- Rocket oxidizer (liquid oxygen)
- Steel production (blast furnaces)
- Water treatment
- Welding and cutting metals
💡 Did You Know?
Fact: Earth's oxygen-rich atmosphere is a biological phenomenon. For the first 2 billion years of Earth's history, there was almost no free oxygen. The Great Oxidation Event around 2.4 billion years ago, caused by cyanobacteria, radically transformed the planet and wiped out most anaerobic life.