![]() Oxygen in its most reactive form, i.e., ozone, is used in different chemical reactions to improve the rate of reaction and ensure the fullest possible oxidation of the compounds. In various chemical industries, oxygen is used in the manufacture of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, other compounds, and acids.The conversion of iron ore into steel needs commercially produced O 2.Thereafter, the polymers are employed for making plastics and fabrics. Oxygen is required for yielding antifreeze and polyester polymers.Even in mines, it is employed as a part of explosives for blasting rocks. Other uses involve the production of iron and steel in blast furnaces using hot oxygen air.In industries, it is mainly used for melting, welding and cutting of metals.Oxygen gas is used to kill bacteria causing gangrene (as it is poisonous for them) and treat carbon monoxide poisoning as well.Oxygen masks are used to ease various medical disorders, like hypoxemia, asthma, heart and vascular diseases.The medical uses of oxygen involve supplying it in packed cylinders to help patients, who find it difficult to breathe, or it is used by mountaineers at high latitudes, underwater divers, astronauts walking in space, etc.It is a process in which food is burned in living cells in the presence of oxygen to release energy for all the metabolic activities. All living organisms including animals and plants use oxygen present in the air for respiration - also termed as aerobic respiration. ![]() When cooled below its boiling point, oxygen turns into a pale blue liquid and when cooled even more, the liquid solidifies while retaining its color. It combines directly with various elements to form oxides and is an important constituent of many acids, hydroxides, and various other compounds. Commercially, it can be prepared by the process of liquefaction and fractional distillation of air and through electrolysis of water. It is denser than air and can be dissolved in water up to a certain extent. It is paramagnetic in all its three forms i.e., solid, liquid, and gaseous state. Being the first member of Group 16 of the periodic table, oxygen is a chemically active element, forming compounds with nearly all the elements except the inert gases. ![]() It is naturally found in the sun and plays a vital role in the stellar carbon cycle. Oxygen is the third most abundantly found element in the universe. Joseph Priestley (England), Carl Wilhelm Scheele (German-Swedish), and Antoine Lavoisier (France) are the three people who are often accredited for discovering, obtaining, and naming this chemical element, respectively.
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