can occur. Decay is a form of oxidation. Through decay, dead plant and animal materials are reconverted into carbon dioxide, water, and simple mineral compounds. New generations of plants and animals now have space to live. Through the oxygen cycle, oxygen can be used over and over again. When plants take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, water molecules are split and oxygen is released into the atmosphere. Oxygen is also produced commercially, by the fractional distillation of liquid air. In this process, air is liquefied and allowed to evaporate. The nitrogen in the liquid air is more volatile and boils off first, leaving the oxygen. Oxygen can even be prepared in a laboratory by using salts such as potassium chlorate, barium peroxide, and sodium peroxide. You can also decompose hydrogen peroxide to produce oxygen. You may also prepare oxygen by the electrolysis of water. In this process, a direct current of electricity is passed through the water. As the current flows, oxygen gas collects at the positive terminal, while hydrogen collects at the negative terminal. Oxygen has many uses today. Most of it produced today is utilized to make a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, called synthesis gas. It is used for the synthesis of methanol and ammonia. High purity oxygen is used in the metal-fabrication industries. In its liquid form, oxygen is used as a propellant for guided missiles and rockets. Today, we use large amounts of oxygen in high-temperature welding torches. The oxygen mixes with another gas, which produces a flame much warmer than by burning gas in the air. We also administer oxygen to patients whose respiratory functions are impaired. We must also supply persons in high-flying aircrafts with oxygen. Oxygen is even used in open-hearth furnaces for steel manufacturing. As you can tell through this report, oxygen is a very important element. Without it, we would not be alive today. Oxyge...
