What is the Density of Oxygen?
The density of oxygen at standard temperature and pressure (STP) is 1.43 g/L.
Oxygen's density, like that of any substance, describes its mass per unit volume. The value of 1.43 g/L specifically applies to oxygen gas at STP, which is defined as 0°C (273.15 K) and 1 atmosphere (atm) of pressure. It's important to note that the density of oxygen will change if the temperature or pressure changes.
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Standard Temperature and Pressure (STP): This is a crucial condition. Different temperature and pressure conditions will yield different densities for oxygen. Many scientific calculations use STP as a baseline.
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Molar Mass and Molar Volume: The density of a gas at STP can be calculated using its molar mass (the mass of one mole of the substance) and the molar volume of a gas at STP, which is approximately 22.4 L/mol. This is frequently used in calculations (as seen in several provided links).
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Practical Applications: Knowing the density of oxygen is important in various fields, including:
- Aerospace Engineering: Accurate calculations of propellant density are necessary for rocket design and operation.
- Chemical Engineering: Density is crucial for process design and control in chemical plants that handle oxygen.
- Medical Applications: Oxygen density considerations are relevant in designing medical equipment like oxygen masks and concentrators.
Calculating Oxygen Density at STP
Several of the provided sources show that the density of oxygen at STP can be calculated by dividing the molar mass of oxygen (approximately 32 g/mol) by the molar volume of a gas at STP (approximately 22.4 L/mol). This calculation yields a density close to 1.43 g/L.
Density of Oxygen at Other Conditions
The provided links highlight that oxygen's density changes with temperature and pressure. While 1.43 g/L applies specifically to STP, specialized resources such as engineering toolboxes (https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/oxygen-O2-density-specific-weight-temperature-pressure-d_2082.html) provide tools and data for calculating the density at other conditions.
