Question

problem: the oxygen in the atmosphere—the oxygen all animals breathe—has the chemical formula o₂. why is oxygen found in nature as o₂ rather than o? use a model for o₂, including all electrons, to explain.

Explanation:

Oxygen atom (O) has six valence electrons. In order to achieve a more stable electron configuration (similar to noble gases with full outer shells), two oxygen atoms share electrons. In \(O_2\), each oxygen atom has a double - bond (\(O = O\)). The Lewis structure of \(O_2\) shows that each oxygen atom has 8 electrons in its valence shell (satisfying the octet rule). An isolated O atom has only 6 valence electrons and is highly reactive. By forming \(O_2\), the system becomes more stable.

Answer:

Oxygen is found as \(O_2\) rather than O in nature because \(O_2\) satisfies the octet rule (each O atom has 8 valence electrons in \(O_2\)) and is more stable, while an isolated O atom (with 6 valence electrons) is highly reactive.