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Oxygen (February 13, 2004, One)

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Program Summary

It’s the most abundant element on and above Earth. It’s in every breath we take, every thirst quencher we sip, and it’s pretty much responsible for all the energy our body uses. It’s such a routine part of our lives that we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about oxygen.

Oxygen has many forms. Even ozone (O₃) leads a mysterious and complex existence. In the atmosphere it shields living things from the Sun’s harmful rays, but on Earth, ozone is a toxin found in smog that can wreak havoc with human health. Recently scientists have discovered that the human body actually produces ozone, which may actually help the body fight disease. In this hour, Ira and his guests explore the magical properties of oxygen, who discovered it, and what new discoveries are being made about it.

Guests

Bassam Shakhashiri, professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the William T. Evjue Distinguished Chair for the Wisconsin Idea, Madison, Wisconsin

Mary Jo Nye, Horning Professor of the Humanities and professor of History at Oregon State University in Corvallis

Carl Djerassi, playwright and co-author of “Oxygen” and professor emeritus in the department of Chemistry at Stanford University in Stanford, California

Paul Wentworth Jr., associate professor in the department of chemistry at the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology and at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California

Related Links and Resources

Jefferson Lab, Science Education: It’s Elemental: Oxygen
SciFun’s Science Is Fun in the Lab of Shakhashiri

For Discussion:

• What is oxygen?
• What are some of the properties of oxygen?
• How is oxygen important to human beings?
• Who discovered oxygen?
• What is ozone?
• How is it helpful? Harmful?

Activities

Is it hot in here? What is ozone? Why are there holes in it? And how does this affect us? Discoveryschool.com’s Earth and Beyond lesson plan asks students to get to the bottom of pressing environmental issues by researching such topics as global warming, space exploration, and terraforming. After gathering information, students assess their findings and formulate a plan for the future.

Burn, baby, burn! What role does oxygen play in combustion? For a simple and interesting experiment try the Discovery Science Center’s Science Experiments page. Using easy-to-find materials, this experiment not only shows the essential role of oxygen in fire, but also illustrates that all gasses do not weigh the same. Students can explore the workings of a fire extinguisher as they create their own version in Home Made Fire Extinguisher from Reeko’s Science Lab.

Breathing trees. Plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. In fact, trees and other plants can be called the “lungs” of our planet. Learn how at Photosynthesis, Trees, and the Greenhouse Effect from National Geographic’s Xpeditions, students research the effects of greenhouse gasses and convince an audience about the changes that could occur with the planting of trees.

Every breath you take. Build a model of a lung, measure the capacity of your lungs, and see how breathing rates change for different activities in Breathing is Essential to Life from Illinois Institute of Technology. Simple activities lead students through the process of observing and recording observations about oxygen, breathing and the human body.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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