What family does oxygen belong to?

Oxygen belongs to the Chalcogens family of elements. Oxygen is found in Group 16 or VIA of the periodic table, along with the elements sulphur, selenium, polonium and tellurium.

The word Chalcogen is derived from the Greek language meaning ‘ore’. Elements such as oxygen and sulphur are commonly found in most ores. A large number of compounds containing oxygen are found in the earth’s crust. This is because oxygen is one of the most abundant elements in the earth’s crust. A fifth of the Earth’s atmosphere consists of oxygen. Oxygen is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas at standard temperature and pressure.