Gas is a state of matter with very consistent properties. All gases occupy about the same volume of mass under a wide variety of temperature conditions including 22 Celsius and 98.67 K pa pressure.
Under standard temperature and pressure on this planet, oxygen is a very pale blue and odorless gas which consists of two oxygen atoms that are bound to each other chemically. It is by far the most abundant chemical by mass in our air, on sea, and on land. It is also the third most abundant chemical in the universe trailing only hydrogen and helium. Earth is unique among the planets in our solar system in having such a high concentration of oxygen, with oxygen accounting for almost 50% of our Earth's crust and oxygen gas takes up 21% of the atmosphere and 88% of the mass of the ocean.
The oxygen cycle is the reason for our planet having such a high concentration of the element. The main driving force of this cycle is the process of photosynthesis. This process releases the oxygen into the atmosphere while decay and respiration are the main forces that remove it from the atmosphere.
Life on this planet could not exist without oxygen as it is the basis of respiration in many plant and animal forms including human. That it is such a stable gas is one of the reasons that life has thrived on this planet for the last several million years. The oxygen in the atmosphere gets thinner the higher you go which accounts for the pressurization of airline flights and why you gasp for air on a mountaintop.
Space is absent of oxygen for the most part which explains why astronauts have to wear suits that surround then with pressurized oxygen to be able to survive in the void that is space.
Under standard temperature and pressure on this planet, oxygen is a very pale blue and odorless gas which consists of two oxygen atoms that are bound to each other chemically. It is by far the most abundant chemical by mass in our air, on sea, and on land. It is also the third most abundant chemical in the universe trailing only hydrogen and helium. Earth is unique among the planets in our solar system in having such a high concentration of oxygen, with oxygen accounting for almost 50% of our Earth's crust and oxygen gas takes up 21% of the atmosphere and 88% of the mass of the ocean.
The oxygen cycle is the reason for our planet having such a high concentration of the element. The main driving force of this cycle is the process of photosynthesis. This process releases the oxygen into the atmosphere while decay and respiration are the main forces that remove it from the atmosphere.
Life on this planet could not exist without oxygen as it is the basis of respiration in many plant and animal forms including human. That it is such a stable gas is one of the reasons that life has thrived on this planet for the last several million years. The oxygen in the atmosphere gets thinner the higher you go which accounts for the pressurization of airline flights and why you gasp for air on a mountaintop.
Space is absent of oxygen for the most part which explains why astronauts have to wear suits that surround then with pressurized oxygen to be able to survive in the void that is space.
