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Answers to Readers' Questions on Chemistry:
Oxygen
The following 3 comments and questions have been sent in. They are listed according to date.
List of first 10 items
What is oxygen?
Question
October 22, 2009
what is chemistry oxygen?
hashim - Somalia
18552
Answer
Oxygen is an important element used in many chemical reactions.
How is oxygen prepared from air?
Question
May 11, 2009
1)how is oxygen prepared from air?
2)why does steam cause more burns than boiling water?
sekhar - India
17728
Answer
When air is lowered to extremely cold temperatures, such that the gasses freeze, oxygen can be separated. Each gas in air freezes at a different temperature.
Boiling water is at 100 degrees C. Steam can be heating to a much higher temperature and thus cause more serious burns.
How was oxygen named?
Question
January 18, 2008
i have been checking this site out for quite some time if i have any doubts..im 13 years old, living in india and just recently i was reading up on oxygen....its very well detailed but what is missing is as to how the word or name oxygen itself was given......it would be very nice of you if you would please satisfy my doubts...i have great trust in this site..thanks a lot for your time.
regards,
ADITYA - India
15166
Answer
How the names of the various elements were given may have some historical basis, but it really has nothing to do with chemistry.
Oxygen was discovered by Joseph Priestley and Carl Scheele in 1774 and was named from the Greek words oxy and genes, which mean "acid" (sharp) and "forming" (acid-former).
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