Difference between revisions of "Oxygen"
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==History== | ==History== | ||
+ | The discovery of oxygen is often credited to English chemist [[Joseph Priestley]], although the full story is somewhat more involved. That there is a component of air which is necessary for combustion and respiration was recognized by [[Leonardo da Vinci]] in the fifteenth century, and confirmed by English chemist [[John Mayow]] in the mid-seventeenth century. However, the interpretation of these results was hampered by the rise of [[phlogiston]] theory, which stated that substances gave off phlogiston during combustion: air that was no longer capable of supporting combustion was said to be saturated with phlogiston. The unequivocal identification of oxygen as a chemical substance would have to wait for its preparation by chemical means. | ||
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+ | The preparation was first carried out by Swedish chemist [[Carl Scheele]] on several occasions during the period 1771–73. Scheele heated various compounds such as [[Potassium nitrate|KNO<sub>3</sub>]], [[Magnesium nitrate|Mg(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>]] and [[Mercury(II) oxide|HgO]] and found that they gave off a gas that he named "vitriol air", which supported combustion better than normal air. Scheele's results, however, were not published until 1777. In the meantime, Priestley had isolated the gas given off by heating HgO and named it "dephlogistonated air", and published his results in 1775 after proving that the gas was different from [[nitrous oxide]]. | ||
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+ | Priestley's work certainly had the greater impact, as he was able to discuss it with French chemist [[Antoine Lavoisier]] in October 1774 during a visit to Paris with his mentor and employer the Earl of Shelbourne. | ||
==Occurance and production== | ==Occurance and production== |
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Oxygen (ˈɒksɨdʒɨn) is a colourless gas which makes up about one fifth of the Earth's atmosphere. Its name comes from the Greek ὀξύς (oxys; acid, literally "sharp", from the taste of acids) and -γενής (-genēs; producer, literally "begetter").
Contents
History
The discovery of oxygen is often credited to English chemist Joseph Priestley, although the full story is somewhat more involved. That there is a component of air which is necessary for combustion and respiration was recognized by Leonardo da Vinci in the fifteenth century, and confirmed by English chemist John Mayow in the mid-seventeenth century. However, the interpretation of these results was hampered by the rise of phlogiston theory, which stated that substances gave off phlogiston during combustion: air that was no longer capable of supporting combustion was said to be saturated with phlogiston. The unequivocal identification of oxygen as a chemical substance would have to wait for its preparation by chemical means.
The preparation was first carried out by Swedish chemist Carl Scheele on several occasions during the period 1771–73. Scheele heated various compounds such as KNO3, Mg(NO3)2 and HgO and found that they gave off a gas that he named "vitriol air", which supported combustion better than normal air. Scheele's results, however, were not published until 1777. In the meantime, Priestley had isolated the gas given off by heating HgO and named it "dephlogistonated air", and published his results in 1775 after proving that the gas was different from nitrous oxide.
Priestley's work certainly had the greater impact, as he was able to discuss it with French chemist Antoine Lavoisier in October 1774 during a visit to Paris with his mentor and employer the Earl of Shelbourne.
Occurance and production
Allotropes
Chemical properties
Use
Physical properties
Safety
Notes and references
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Oxygen. In NIST Chemistry WebBook; National Institute for Standards and Technology, <http://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/inchi/InChI%3D1S/O2/c1-2>. (accessed 15 March 2010).
- ↑ Oxygen. In Gas Encyclopedia; Air Liquide, <http://encyclopedia.airliquide.com/encyclopedia.asp?GasID=48>. (accessed 3 April 2010).
- ↑ Allred, A. L. Electronegativity values from thermochemical data. J. Inorg. Nucl. Chem. 1961, 17 (3–4), 215–21. DOI: 10.1016/0022-1902(61)80142-5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Oxygen, atomic. In NIST Chemistry WebBook; National Institute for Standards and Technology, <http://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/inchi/InChI%3D1S/O>. (accessed 15 March 2010).
- ↑ Mohr, Peter J.; Taylor, Barry N. CODATA recommended values of the fundamental physical constants: 2002. Rev. Mod. Phys. 2005, 77 (1), 1–107. DOI: 10.1103/RevModPhys.77.1.
- ↑ Cox, J. D.; Wagman, D. D.; Medvedev, V. A. CODATA Key Values for Thermodynamics; Hemisphere: New York, 1989. ISBN 0891167587, <http://www.codata.org/resources/databases/key1.html>.
External links
See also the corresponding article on Wikipedia. |
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