The key difference between 2O and O2 is that 2O refers to two free oxygen atoms, whereas O2 refers to a molecule having two oxygen atoms.
2O and O2 are two terms that often confuse us. Both terms mean that there are two oxygen atoms. But, the difference between 2O and O2 is the state of these oxygen atoms – whether they are free or bound to each other.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is 2O
3. What is O2
4. Side by Side Comparison – 2O vs O2 in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is 2O?
2O means there are two atoms of oxygen. There, each oxygen atom does not bond with each other, and they are in a free state. Here, the oxygen is in the elemental state. Further, these oxygen atoms are available for the formation of chemical bonds.
Figure 01: One Oxygen Atom
What is O2?
O2 is a molecule of oxygen having two oxygen atoms bound to each other via covalent chemical bonding. Here, the oxygen is in the molecular state. Further, the oxygen atoms in this structure are already in chemical bonds. Thus, no further bonds will form between them. Importantly, we should write the 2 as a subscript of O: “O2”.
Figure 02: O2 Molecule
Moreover, this compound occurs in the gaseous state, and it is essential for life on earth since we breathe in oxygen gas.
What is the Difference Between 2O and O2?
Although both the terms 2O and O2 means there are two oxygen atoms, the state of oxygen is different. The key difference between 2O and O2 is that 2O means there are two free oxygen atoms, whereas O2 means it is a molecule having two oxygen atoms. Further, 2O is in the elemental state while O2 is in the molecular state. Importantly, when writing them, we usually write 2 in 2O in the same font size as O, but in O2, we should write the 2 as a subscript of O.
Below info-graphic summarizes the difference between 2O and O2.
Summary – 2O vs O2
Although both the terms 2O and O2 means there are two oxygen atoms, the state of oxygen is different. In summary, the key difference between 2O and O2 is that 2O means there are two free oxygen atoms, whereas O2 means it is a molecule having two oxygen atoms.
Reference:
1.“Oxygen Molecule.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Electron shell 008 Oxygen – no label” By Pumbaa (original work by Greg Robson) – File:Electron shell 008 Oxygen.svg (CC BY-SA 2.0 uk) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Dioxygen-montage” (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia