What is the chemical symbol for oxygen?
VerifiedAnswer: O
Explanation:
The chemical symbol for oxygen is O, which comes from the first letter of its name. This simple yet important symbol represents one of the most abundant and essential elements on our planet.
Oxygen was first discovered by Swedish pharmacist Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1772 and independently by British scientist Joseph Priestley in 1774. The name "oxygen" was coined by French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, derived from Greek words meaning "acid former" because he initially believed that oxygen was present in all acids.
In the periodic table, oxygen holds the atomic number 8, meaning it has 8 protons in its nucleus. It belongs to Group 16 (also known as the chalcogens) and Period 2. The element has an atomic mass of approximately 16.00 atomic mass units.
Here are some key facts about oxygen and its symbol:
• It makes up about 21% of Earth's atmosphere by volume • Oxygen is essential for cellular respiration in most living organisms • It's the third most abundant element in the universe by mass • At room temperature, oxygen exists as a diatomic molecule (O₂) • It's highly reactive and supports combustion
When writing chemical formulas, the symbol O can appear in various combinations. For example, water is H₂O (two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom), and carbon dioxide is CO₂ (one carbon atom bonded to two oxygen atoms). Understanding this basic symbol helps students navigate more complex chemical equations and molecular structures throughout their chemistry studies.
