Final answer:
The word that helps us identify when oxygen is being used or present is oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that involves the loss of electrons or the gain of oxygen. It is involved in various biological and environmental processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The word that helps us identify when oxygen is being used or present is oxidation.
Oxidation is a chemical reaction that involves the loss of electrons or the gain of oxygen. When oxygen is being used or present, it is often involved in an oxidation reaction. This can be seen in various biological processes, such as the slow oxidation of chemical compounds in our body, where oxygen combines with hemoglobin to transport it to tissues.
Oxidation reactions are also important in environmental analyses, where the determination of dissolved oxygen levels in natural waters is necessary to support aquatic life and the biological oxidation of pollutants.