Where is oxygen found

Ozone forms naturally in the atmosphere, but can be destroyed by reaction with certain pollutants. In some areas, the depletion of ozone has created an "ozone hole" - a serious concern for the environment. Molecular oxygen as O 2 is essential for life. Many organisms require oxygen for metabolism, and photosynthetic plants produce oxygen as they convert sunlight to stored energy.

Molecular oxygen is important for combustion - especially in the combustion of fuels for energy. Combustion is the reaction of a compound with an oxidant, which is usually molecular oxygen, to produce oxides. Combustion of fossil fuels such as methane , shown in Figure 3 below, produces carbon dioxide , water vapour , and energy.

The video below is from the University of Nottingham's Periodic Videos project. Enormous quantities of oxygen are combined with elements that make up sand, limestone and other rocks and materials in found in the earth. The discovery of oxygen was made in by Joseph Priestley when he heated the red oxide of mercury mercuric oxide or HgO to create a small amount of the gas.

One common method to create or prepare oxygen in the laboratory involves the decomposition of potassium chlorate KClO 3. When potassium chlorate is heated, it first melts and then boils, giving up its oxygen.

The equation for this reaction is:. Another laboratory method involves action of water on sodium peroxide Na 2 O 2 yielding oxygen and sodium hydroxide NaOH. Since this reaction can be violent, the water is allowed to drip slowly from a funnel upon solid sodium peroxide in a flask. The method of collecting oxygen is passing it through a tube and bubbling it up in a collecting bottle filled with water.

One commercial method of preparing oxygen involves the electrolysis of water, which consists of breaking up the water compound by the means of an electric current. A dilute acid, such as sulfuric acid, is added to the water to make it a conductor of electricity.

Direct current is then passed through the solution, and the water is decomposed into oxygen and hydrogen gases. Another commercial method involves the distillation of liquid air. When air is applied with high pressure and low temperature, it can be liquefied. As it is allowed to warm up, nitrogen—which has a lower boiling point than oxygen—escapes as a gas, leaving nearly pure oxygen as a liquid.

It can then be stored either as a liquid or as a compressed gas in metal containers. Oxygen is a colorless gas that is essential for life. It is slightly soluble in water and also supports water-borne life. As a compound, oxygen is present in water, living things, and much of the solid material that makes up the earth.

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