Definition of Vital air

In science, oxygen (IPA: ) is a chemical element with the chemical symbol O and atomic number 8. The word oxygen derives from two roots in Greek, οξύς (oxys) (acid, lit. sharp) and -γενής (-genēs) (producer, lit. begetter). It was recognized in 1777 by Antoine Lavoisier, who coined the name oxygen from the Greek roots mentioned above because he erroneously thought that it was a constituent of all acids. (The definition of acid has since been revised). Oxygen has a valency of 2. On Earth it is usually bonded to other elements covalently or ionically. Examples for common oxygen-containing compounds include water (H₂O), sand (silica, SiO₂), and rust (iron oxide, Fe₂O₃).