The Element Oxygen - Basic Physical and Historical Information ...

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Discovered : by Joseph Priestley in Wiltshire, England and independently by C.W. Scheele in Upssala, Sweden in 1774 Origin : The name is derived from the Greek oxygenes, meaning acid forming. Description : A colourless, odourless gas that makes up 21% of the atmosphere, which is half-way between 17% (below which we could not breathe) and 25% (above which all organic material is highly flammable).

Oxygen includes 21% of the atmosphere at all altitudes. The remaining atmosphere consists of 78% nitrogen and 1% traces of other gases. Oxygen under normal conditions is an odorless, colorless, tasteless, non-combustible gas. It is the most important single element on earth.