What is the molecular weight of oxygen?
The correct answer and explanation is:
The molecular weight of oxygen (O₂) is approximately 32 grams per mole (g/mol).
The molecular weight refers to the mass of one mole of a substance, expressed in grams. For oxygen, the molecular formula is O₂, which indicates that the molecule consists of two oxygen atoms. The atomic weight of a single oxygen atom is roughly 16 g/mol, so when two oxygen atoms combine to form a molecule, their combined weight is 32 g/mol (16 g/mol × 2).
Oxygen, as an element, exists in its diatomic form (O₂) under normal atmospheric conditions. This diatomic form is the most common and stable molecular form of oxygen, making up about 21% of Earth’s atmosphere. The molecular weight is important because it helps determine how much one mole of oxygen molecules weighs. This value is widely used in chemical reactions, stoichiometry, and various scientific calculations.
Understanding the molecular weight is essential in numerous fields such as chemistry, biology, environmental science, and medicine. In reactions, knowing the molecular weight allows scientists to calculate the amount of oxygen required or produced in reactions. For example, when oxygen is involved in combustion reactions, the molecular weight is used to balance chemical equations and determine how much fuel will burn for a given amount of oxygen.
This value also helps in determining the density of oxygen gas, which is crucial in studying atmospheric conditions, respiratory processes, and even spacecraft life support systems where oxygen is supplied to astronauts. Additionally, oxygen’s molecular weight plays a role in understanding its behavior in biological processes such as cellular respiration.