Exactly as the title asks.
Pure oxygen is generally represented as O2 yet oxygen is an element of the periodic table. Why is it O2 and not just O?
Exactly as the title asks.
Pure oxygen is generally represented as O2 yet oxygen is an element of the periodic table. Why is it O2 and not just O?
Except for noble gases, single atoms are usually quite unstable and will prefere to release some energy to settle into a more stable molecular configuration.