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?

  • Richard@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    52
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Because O is not naturally accuring and only exists under extremely special conditions, so virtually all pure oxygen appears as molecular oxygen O2.