Last updated on August 17th, 2024
27. The average human body of 139 lb (63 kg) consumes 250 ml of O2 each minute. The major single-organ oxygen consumers are the liver, brain, and heart (consuming 20.4%, 18.4%, and 11.6%, respectively).[13]
28. More than 98% of the O2 carried in the blood is bound to Haemoglobin, the rest of it is in dissolved form in the plasma.[14]
29. Did you know that 70% of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere is produced by marine plants (plants and algae produce oxygen during the day as a by-product of photosynthesis), 28% comes from rainforests and the remaining 2% comes from other sources.[15]
30. Oxygen is unreactive with noble gases. Noble gases include Argon, Neon, Helium, Xenon, Krypton, Radon, and Oganesson.[16]
31. Fish are able to extract oxygen from water molecule with the walls of the gills. The water has a higher concentration of oxygen than the gills. When the water is forced over gills, the blood vessels in the gills absorb a lot of oxygen from the water.[17]
32. Oxygen is circulated through nature through a cycle called as “oxygen cycle”. Oxygen is created by a process called photosynthesis and is then used by other aerobic organisms. Carbon dioxide which is released as a by-product of respiration is consumed during photosynthesis.[19]
33. Did you know that the fetus does not actually breathe in the womb? The essential oxygen is passed through the umbilical cord to the fetus. The mother actually breathes for the fetus. As long as the umbilical cord remains intact, there should be no risk of drowning in or outside the womb.[18]
Oxygen – Quick facts and information
| Name | Oxygen |
|---|---|
| Origin of the name | The first part of the word, oxy-, came from Greek. The second part, -gen, came from a Greek element meaning “producing” or “giving rise to.” Source - merriam-webster.com |
| Properties of oxygen | 1. Oxygen is an odorless gas 2. colorless 3. A tasteless gas 4. A poor conductor of heat and electricity 5. Slightly soluble in water, alcohol and some other common liquids 6. It is denser than air. The density of oxygen is 1.429 grams per liter 7. Resistance to flow - stickiness. The viscosity is 189 millipoises (at 0°C). |
| Uses of oxygen | 1. for aerobic respiration 2. used for breathing by patients, mountaineers at high latitudes, underwater divers, astronauts walking in space, etc. 3. for treating gangrene and carbon monoxide poisoning 4. for melting, welding and cutting of metals 5. for production of iron and steel 6. for manufacture of nitric acid, sulphuric acid and other compounds and acids. 7. for combustion of fuels in various types of engines that power different modes of transport 8. for treatment of wastewater |
| Symbol | O |
| Atomic number | 8 |
| Atomic mass | 15.999 atomic mass units (amu) |
| Discovered by | Joseph Priestley and Carl Wilhelm Scheele |
| Discovery date | 1774 in England |
| Melting point | -218.8 °C |
| Boiling point | -183 °C |
| Family | The chalcogens |
| Number of Protons | 8 |
| Number of Neutrons | 8 |
| Number of Electrons | 8 |
| Molecular Formula | O2 |
| Molecular weight | 2.016 g/mol |
| Color | Colorless |
| Block | p-block |
| Isotopes | oxygen-13, oxygen-14, oxygen-15, oxygen-16, oxygen-17, oxygen-18, oxygen-19 |
| Member of group | 16 |
| Allotropes | ozone, O3 |
| Density | 1.429 g/L (at STP) |
| Electron configuration | 1s22s22p4 |
| Percentage in Atmosphere | 21% |
| Atomic radius | 60 pm |
| Heat of Vaporization | 0.90 kJ/mol at -252.87 deg C |
| Phase at room temperature | gas |
| CAS number | 7782-44-7 |
| Table data sources | 1. http://www.elementalmatter.info/oxygen-properties.htm 2. https://sciencestruck.com/oxygen-uses |
| Table last updated | July 28, 2018 |