# Why is oxygen usually in the form O2? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 25, 2001, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-oxygen-usually-in-the-form-o2/51730 "2001-01-25T15:55:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-oxygen-usually-in-the-form-o2/51730/21 "2001-01-30T06:51:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by onigame \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by JillGat \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by pluteus\_larva \* > > > **This was the first time I actually felt like my intelligence was insulted by an answer on the Straight Dope** > > > > Damn. I’ll try harder next time. > > \*\* > > Sorry, Jill, too late. Best you can hope for is second. > \*\* Wait for my “coming” question about masturbation and penis shrinkage. Tell me what you think. - Jill ---
**Author:** ![bungie\_us](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b38774/32.png) [@bungie\_us](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bungie_us)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-oxygen-usually-in-the-form-o2/51730/22 "2001-01-30T13:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Wait for my “coming” question about masturbation and penis shrinkage. Tell me what you think. Makes mine shrink for sure. Ahhhhh. ---
**Author:** ![Gund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8edcca/32.png) [@Gund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gund)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-oxygen-usually-in-the-form-o2/51730/23 "2001-02-09T13:53:33Z")
I had the pleasure of explainig this to my sister the other day, here is how I did it - The electrons orbit the nucleus (the middle bit) in orb like fields. At the center, things are a bit tight, so only two electrons can fit in the innermost orb. From there outward, it’s eight at a time, I know it’s actually a little more complicated than that, but this is layman stuff. Since Oxygen has eight, that leaves six out on the last orbit. Oxygen really want’s to have eight, so it shares the last two electron gaps with the most compatible nearest atom, another oxygen. And drawing these little diagrams all those years ago, I never understood it until I had to do it for sis’ the other day. Now with this knowledge, you can figure out how other molecules are possible. Diffrent atoms mix only under certain conditions, some very violent, like water - two hydrogen and one oxygen. hydrogen has only one electron and requires one more to be happy, thus it takes two hydrogens to compliment a bond with oxygen in that very very violent explosion. Hence H2O. This works with lots of bonds, the best way to do it is to draw little diagrams on lined paper: Valency Diagrams. Remember the first level only has two electrons and the others eight, in a 2-6 configuration (something comes to mind about spin, n and p types, look it up, this is for laymen only and I did high school at least eleven years ago). Levels 3 3 3 2 … … 2 2 … … 1 … 1 . 1 … Nucleus Oxygen (8). Hydrogen (1). Carbon (6). Carbon would ideally like four to balance that second orbit, so it shares from two atoms of oxygen and you get CO2. I seem to remembr the electrons clostest to the neucleus gave out with bigger bangs, hence CO2 gets created in fires, H2O get created with enormous explosions etc. There was a formula with all this, but I prefer pictures. I hope this helps ppl who did not do physics in high school and are hopelessly lost. Have a great day. Rgds ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-oxygen-usually-in-the-form-o2/51730/24 "2001-02-09T21:25:40Z")
Gund said: > [@](#): > > I seem to remembr the electrons clostest to the neucleus gave out with bigger bangs, hence CO2 gets created in fires, H2O get created with enormous explosions etc. I’m not sure what you’re saying here. The products of cumbustion are the result of the fuel for a particular fire. If you have a substance with carbon in it that is burning, you will get some output of an oxidated carbon - carbon dioxide is preferred if enough oxygen is present, but carbon monoxide will occur if oxygen is limited. However, if the fuel does not contain carbon, it cannot produce carbon dioxide. Water is a combustion product if hydrogen is in the fuel compound, or available from the atmosphere during combustion. Or are you making a reference to energy output of each process? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2001, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-oxygen-usually-in-the-form-o2/51730/25 "2001-02-12T23:42:45Z")
Nit picking here, but the thread title is erroneous and misleading. I’m fairly certain that one is much more likely to find oxygen in the form of an oxide. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-oxygen-usually-in-the-form-o2/51730.md?page=1)