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Compare Oxygen vs Carbon

Comparing Oxygen (O) and Carbon (C). Atomic numbers 8 and 6 with atomic masses 15.999 u and 12.01 u, classified as nonmetal and nonmetal. Below: a side-by-side comparison of their physical, atomic, electron-configuration and historical properties, including density, melting and boiling points, ionization energies, oxidation states and discovery history.

vs
O
Oxygen
#8
C
Carbon
#6

Periodic properties of the elements

OxygenCarbon
SymbolOC
Atomic number86
Group1614
Period22
Blockpp
Element categoryNonmetalNonmetal

Physical properties

OxygenCarbon
Phase at STPGasSolid
Density1.429 g/cm31.821 g/cm3
Atomic weight15.999 u12.0096 u
Melting point54.36 K
-218.79 °C
-361.822 °F		-
Boiling point90.188 K
-182.962 °C
-297.3316 °F		-

Atomic properties

OxygenCarbon
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)3.442.55
Electron affinity140.976 kJ/mol121.776 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−2, −1, 0, +1, +2
()		−4, −3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4
(a mildly acidic oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 1313.9 kJ/mol
  2. 3388.3 kJ/mol
  3. 5300.5 kJ/mol
  4. 7469.2 kJ/mol
  5. 10989.5 kJ/mol
  6. 13326.5 kJ/mol
  7. 71330 kJ/mol
  8. 84078 kJ/mol
  1. 1086.5 kJ/mol
  2. 2352.6 kJ/mol
  3. 4620.5 kJ/mol
  4. 6222.7 kJ/mol
  5. 37831 kJ/mol
  6. 47277 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

OxygenCarbon
Shorthand configuration[He] 2s2 2p4 [He] 2s2 2p2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p4 1s2 2s2 2p2
Electrons per shell2, 62, 4

History

OxygenCarbon
DiscoveryCarl Wilhelm Scheele, Joseph Priestley (1774)Egyptians and Sumerians (3750 BC)
Named byAntoine Lavoisier (1777)
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