Research on oxygen gas

The symbol for oxygen is O

The formula for oxygen is O2
It is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas.
The atomic number of Oxygen is 8.
It is a pale blue liquid when is it cooled below -183C (it is called liquid oxygen)
The ozone layer consists of 3 Oxygen molecules chemically bonded.
Oxygen is essential for combustion.
The boiling point of oxygen is -183 C, and the liquid is pale blue in colour and is appreciably magnetic. At still lower
temperatures, light-blue solid oxygen is obtained, which has a melting point of -218.4 C .
Oxygen was named by Antoine Lavoisier in 1777
Oxygen was first discovered by Carl Wilhem Scheele in 1772
In todays atmosphere; 21% is OXYGEN
78% is NITROGEN
0.9% is ARGON
0.037% is CARBON DIOXIDE
0.0018% is NEON
0.0005% is HELIUM
0.0001% is KRYPTON
0.00005% is HYDROGEN
The most common commercial or industrial method for obtaining oxygen is: FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION
Oxygen may be obtained from the atmosphere by the liquefaction and fractional distillation of air. Liquid air is a
mixture of liquid nitrogen, boiling point -196 C, and liquid oxygen, boiling point -183 C. The nitrogen is more
volatile (i.e. it has a lower boiling point) and boils off first during evaporation. Because some oxygen evaporates
with the nitrogen, separation of the two gases is brought about by fractionation (i.e. by letting the evolved gas
mixture bubble through liquid air rich in oxygen in a tall rectifying column). The oxygen in the gas mixture
condenses and almost pure nitrogen gas leaves the top of the column, leaving almost pure liquid oxygen which is
then evaporated to give oxygen gas. The oxygen gas is distributed as a compressed gas in high pressure
cylinders.
Oxygen can be made in nature by trees and plants using photosynthesis which uses up carbon dioxide and a product of the
plant using photosynthesis is Oxygen.
Here is the word equation for photosynthesis: carbon dioxide + water + sunlight glucose + oxygen
Oxygen can be made and safely collected on a small scale in the laboratory suing chemicals such as:
1) Potassium chlorate decomposes at a low temperature if previously mixed with manganese dioxide (which is a

catalyst for the decomposition.) Only the potassium chlorate is decomposed, and no perchlorate is formed :

2 KClO3 ==> 2 KCl + 3 O2

2) The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide using manganese dioxide (as a catalyst) also results in the production of

oxygen gas.



The simplest test for the presence of oxygen is the glowing splint test. Light a wooden splint and then blow it out, while it is
still glowing place in the test tube. If it relights then oxygen is present, if it makes a loud popping sound, then hydrogen is
present.
The percentage of oxygen can be found out by having the volume of air in the syringes is measured at the start of the
experiment. The copper is then heated strongly as the air is passed slowly from one syringe to the other. The process is
continued until there is no further change in the volume of gas. Finally, the apparatus is allowed to cool and the volume of
the air in the syringes is measured again. The change in volume is due to the loss of oxygen which is removed as it reacts
with the copper to form copper oxide.
RESULTS:


CONCLUSION: The same of air contains 21% of oxygen.

VOLUME OF AIR AT THE START 100 CM
3
VOLUME OF AIR AT THE END 79 CM
3
VOLUME OF OXYGEN 100 79 = 21 CM
3
2 H2O2 ==> 2 H2O + O2