Loading...
Initial language selection is based on your web browser preferences.
**Symbol:** O **Atomic number:** 8 **International name:** Oxygen **General formula:** O₂ **Relative Atomic Weight:** 15.999 **Description:** Oxygen is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas. When liquefied, it has a bluish hue. Oxygen atoms are unstable in their atomic form and naturally combine to form diatomic molecules (O₂), with a double bond between atoms. It is classified as a typical non-metal. **Applications:** Oxygen is widely used in the production of iron and steel, for welding and cutting metals, in the glass industry, and in medicine (breathing apparatus). It is also used as an oxidizer in rocket fuel. **Occurrence:** Oxygen is the most abundant element on Earth, present in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and Earth's crust. It is a biogenic element, forming a fundamental part of all living organisms.
