Oxygen (O)

Oxygen facts

Symbol

O

Atomic number

8

Atomic mass

15.999

Family

Nonmetals

Period

2

Group

16

Famous reactions with oxygen

• BANG! You made Water!Water 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O · With a spark or a flame · Try it
• Glowing embers! Carbon burnsCarbon dioxide C + O₂ → CO₂ · With a spark or a flame · Try it
• Made by lightning! Nitrogen meets OxygenNitric oxide N₂ + O₂ → 2NO · Only in lightning or a hot car engine · Try it
• Dazzling light! Magnesium burnsMagnesium oxide 2Mg + O₂ → 2MgO · When heated · Try it
• Invisible shield! Aluminium and OxygenAluminium oxide 4Al + 3O₂ → 2Al₂O₃ · At room temperature · Try it
• It glows in the dark! Phosphorus burnsPhosphorus pentoxide 4P + 5O₂ → P₄O₁₀ · At room temperature · Try it
• A blue flame! Sulfur burnsSulfur dioxide S + O₂ → SO₂ · With a spark or a flame · Try it
• Slowly... Iron turns to RustIron(III) oxide (rust) 4Fe + 3O₂ → 2Fe₂O₃ · Slowly, when iron is damp · Try it
• Colour change! Copper and OxygenCopper(II) oxide 2Cu + O₂ → 2CuO · When heated · Try it
• Sneaky and dangerous! Osmium meets OxygenOsmium tetroxide Os + 2O₂ → OsO₄ · Slowly in air, faster when heated · Try it

What does oxygen react with?

Oxygen makes a new substance with 73 other elements and chemicals in our lab:

• Oxygen + LithiumLithium oxide 4Li + O₂ → 2Li₂O · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + BerylliumBeryllium oxide 2Be + O₂ → 2BeO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + BoronBoron trioxide 4B + 3O₂ → 2B₂O₃ · Only when heated very strongly · Try it
• Oxygen + SodiumSodium peroxide 2Na + O₂ → Na₂O₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + SiliconSilicon dioxide (quartz) Si + O₂ → SiO₂ · Only in a very hot furnace · Try it
• Oxygen + PotassiumPotassium superoxide K + O₂ → KO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + CalciumCalcium oxide (quicklime) 2Ca + O₂ → 2CaO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + ScandiumScandium oxide 4Sc + 3O₂ → 2Sc₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + TitaniumTitanium dioxide Ti + O₂ → TiO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + VanadiumVanadium(V) oxide 4V + 5O₂ → 2V₂O₅ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + ChromiumChromium(III) oxide 4Cr + 3O₂ → 2Cr₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + ManganeseManganese(II,III) oxide 3Mn + 2O₂ → Mn₃O₄ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + CobaltCobalt(II,III) oxide 3Co + 2O₂ → Co₃O₄ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + NickelNickel(II) oxide 2Ni + O₂ → 2NiO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + ZincZinc oxide 2Zn + O₂ → 2ZnO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + GalliumGallium oxide 4Ga + 3O₂ → 2Ga₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + GermaniumGermanium oxide Ge + O₂ → GeO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + ArsenicArsenic trioxide 4As + 3O₂ → 2As₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + SeleniumSelenium dioxide Se + O₂ → SeO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + RubidiumRubidium superoxide Rb + O₂ → RbO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + StrontiumStrontium oxide 2Sr + O₂ → 2SrO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + YttriumYttrium oxide 4Y + 3O₂ → 2Y₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + ZirconiumZirconium oxide Zr + O₂ → ZrO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + NiobiumNiobium oxide 4Nb + 5O₂ → 2Nb₂O₅ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + MolybdenumMolybdenum(VI) oxide 2Mo + 3O₂ → 2MoO₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + TechnetiumTechnetium(VII) oxide 4Tc + 7O₂ → 2Tc₂O₇ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + RutheniumRuthenium(IV) oxide Ru + O₂ → RuO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + RhodiumRhodium oxide 4Rh + 3O₂ → 2Rh₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + PalladiumPalladium(II) oxide 2Pd + O₂ → 2PdO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + CadmiumCadmium oxide 2Cd + O₂ → 2CdO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + IndiumIndium oxide 4In + 3O₂ → 2In₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + TinTin(IV) oxide Sn + O₂ → SnO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + AntimonyAntimony(III) oxide 4Sb + 3O₂ → 2Sb₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + TelluriumTellurium dioxide Te + O₂ → TeO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + CaesiumCaesium superoxide Cs + O₂ → CsO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + BariumBarium oxide 2Ba + O₂ → 2BaO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + LanthanumLanthanum oxide 4La + 3O₂ → 2La₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + CeriumCerium(IV) oxide Ce + O₂ → CeO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + PraseodymiumPraseodymium(III,IV) oxide 12Pr + 11O₂ → 2Pr₆O₁₁ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + NeodymiumNeodymium oxide 4Nd + 3O₂ → 2Nd₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + PromethiumPromethium oxide 4Pm + 3O₂ → 2Pm₂O₃ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + SamariumSamarium(III) oxide 4Sm + 3O₂ → 2Sm₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + EuropiumEuropium(III) oxide 4Eu + 3O₂ → 2Eu₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + GadoliniumGadolinium oxide 4Gd + 3O₂ → 2Gd₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + TerbiumTerbium(III,IV) oxide 8Tb + 7O₂ → 2Tb₄O₇ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + DysprosiumDysprosium oxide 4Dy + 3O₂ → 2Dy₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + HolmiumHolmium oxide 4Ho + 3O₂ → 2Ho₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + ErbiumErbium oxide 4Er + 3O₂ → 2Er₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + ThuliumThulium oxide 4Tm + 3O₂ → 2Tm₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + YtterbiumYtterbium(III) oxide 4Yb + 3O₂ → 2Yb₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + LutetiumLutetium oxide 4Lu + 3O₂ → 2Lu₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + HafniumHafnium oxide Hf + O₂ → HfO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + TantalumTantalum oxide 4Ta + 5O₂ → 2Ta₂O₅ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + TungstenTungsten(VI) oxide 2W + 3O₂ → 2WO₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + RheniumRhenium(VII) oxide 4Re + 7O₂ → 2Re₂O₇ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + IridiumIridium(IV) oxide Ir + O₂ → IrO₂ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + MercuryMercury(II) oxide 2Hg + O₂ → 2HgO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + ThalliumThallium(I) oxide 4Tl + O₂ → 2Tl₂O · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + LeadLead(II) oxide 2Pb + O₂ → 2PbO · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + BismuthBismuth(III) oxide 4Bi + 3O₂ → 2Bi₂O₃ · When heated · Try it
• Oxygen + PoloniumPolonium(IV) oxide Po + O₂ → PoO₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + RadiumRadium oxide 2Ra + O₂ → 2RaO · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + ActiniumActinium oxide 4Ac + 3O₂ → 2Ac₂O₃ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + ThoriumThorium oxide Th + O₂ → ThO₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + ProtactiniumProtactinium oxide 4Pa + 5O₂ → 2Pa₂O₅ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + UraniumUranium dioxide U + O₂ → UO₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + NeptuniumNeptunium(IV) oxide Np + O₂ → NpO₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + PlutoniumPlutonium(IV) oxide Pu + O₂ → PuO₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + AmericiumAmericium oxide Am + O₂ → AmO₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + CuriumCurium oxide 4Cm + 3O₂ → 2Cm₂O₃ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + BerkeliumBerkelium oxide Bk + O₂ → BkO₂ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + CaliforniumCalifornium oxide 4Cf + 3O₂ → 2Cf₂O₃ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
• Oxygen + EinsteiniumEinsteinium oxide 4Es + 3O₂ → 2Es₂O₃ · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it

Nothing happens when it's simply mixed with 15 of the others. 21 pairings have never been tried, because not enough atoms have ever existed.