Liquid Oxygen

Chemistry Level 1

Oxygen is a colorless, odorless gas.

What color is liquid oxygen?

Green Silver Blue Clear

Calvin Lin by Calvin Lin

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2 solutions

Liquid oxygen has a pale blue color. See it for yourself here .

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That was awesome!

A Former Brilliant Member - 5 years, 8 months ago
Harshit Motwani
Nov 7, 2015

The oxygen is blue and paramagnetic (i.e. attracted to a magnet) for the same reason: the two unpaired electrons in its outermost orbital. The electrons both create a magnetic assymetry in the oxygen molecules and absorb light in the red portion of the visible spectrum. This light absorbtion is a two-molecule/one-photon transition with a wavelength of 630 nm. The entire equation to explain the oxygen's color is: 

 2 O2(3Sg) + hv -> 2 O2(1Dg)
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