Exactly as the title asks.

Pure oxygen is generally represented as O2 yet oxygen is an element of the periodic table. Why is it O2 and not just O?

  • MrMobius
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    291 year ago

    In its natural gaseous state, oxygen is generally found in pairs, hence O2. I guess when you saw “pure oxygen”, this meant gaseous oxygen without any other gas normally found in the atmosphere. So no nitrogen, or carbon dioxide, just oxygen. In the form of O2 of course!