• Question: Why is oxygen a molecule if theres no molecules in oxygen?

    Asked by anon-186313 to Verity, Trystan, Danny, Catherine, Andy on 11 Nov 2018.
    • Photo: Danny Ward

      Danny Ward answered on 11 Nov 2018:

      Oxygen is a molecule made up of two oxygen atoms. The oxygen in the air we breath will be made up of these molecules. They are a gas and so are quite spread out and move around freely.

    • Photo: Verity Hill

      Verity Hill answered on 11 Nov 2018:

      I think you’re getting confused because on the periodic table, you can see O as an element! But as Danny says it exists in the world as a molecule made up of two of atoms of the element oxygen. Single oxygen atoms like to pair up with each other, but only if there isn’t something more interesting for it to bond with!

    • Photo: Trystan Leng

      Trystan Leng answered on 12 Nov 2018:

      Oxygen exists in nature as a molecule, because of the amount of electrons an oxygen atom has has. Atoms like to have a certain number of electrons surrounding them – if they don’t have enough, they will share electrons with another atom to have enough. By sharing two electrons with another, oxygen atoms form a very stable bond – this is why oxygen forms a molecule.

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