Final answer:
Oxygen cylinders for oxy-fuel torches are typically filled to high pressures, around 200 atmospheres, and designed to withstand up to twice that pressure due to safety factors. These safety measures are important for dealing with situations like exposure to heat from a fire.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns the storage pressures of oxygen for use with an oxy-fuel torch. Oxygen tanks used for oxy-fuel welding and cutting are typically filled to a pressure well above atmospheric pressure to ensure an adequate supply of oxygen for the welding process. According to standard safety practices and equipment design, these cylinders can store oxygen at high pressures, often around 200 atmospheres (atm) at room temperature. Safety factors are engineered into the design of these cylinders, which means they likely will not fail until pressures reach about twice the normal operating pressure, in this case, 400 atm. This safety factor allows for increased pressures that might occur in abnormal situations, such as exposure to heat from a fire. Furthermore, looking at the provided exercises and examples related to oxy-fuel welding and related chemical reactions, we can see that the precise stoichiometry of the gases involved is critical for welding applications.