Important Uses for Oxygen

Oxygen is the eighth element on the periodic table. It has an atomic weight of 16. It is a clear gas that you cannot smell or taste. This element plays a major role in society. It is part of the basis for life and provides a variety of applications in modern society.

Breathing

• Oxygen's most critical role for people is so they can breathe. Without it, humans could not survive. Oxygen enters the bloodstream from the lungs. The oxygen oxides in the body and this oxidation assists the metabolic process. The metabolic process is how the body converts the food it consumes into energy.

Medical Oxygen

• Oxygen uses extend into the medical field. Conditions such as hypoxia require the use of medical oxygen. Hypoxia is low levels of oxygen in the blood. Patients breathe the supplemental oxygen through a mask. Causes of hypoxia include high altitude, overexertion or patients experiencing respiratory illness like emphysema.

Internal Combustion Engine

• Oxygen is a key component in your car's internal combustion engine. It operates when the gas in the engine explodes and forces a piston to move up and down. This force is what drives the engine and moves the car. For the gas to explode, oxygen must be present. Oxygen in the combustion chamber acts as an oxidizer and allows the fuel to burn.

Metalworking

• An oxy/acetylene torch uses oxygen as part of its fuel source. The torch can weld, bend, heat or cut metal. The oxygen aids the flame of the torch to heat up to over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This tool is found in metalwork shops or in heavy industrial fields, like shipyards.

Spaceflight

• NASA uses liquid oxygen to help fuel the space shuttle. The U.S. space agency uses a large fuel cell that supplies the shuttle's engine with the oxygen as it lifts off. The fuel tank is jettisoned from the shuttle once it has distributed its oxygen. Astronauts use oxygen in their spacesuits and in the shuttle to allow them to breathe in the vacuum of space.