It contains Hydrogen AND Oxygen, so what stops it being a highly volatile substance? Someone out there will be able to give me an answer I can understand...?
2006-10-11 11:12:24 · 15 answers · asked by Richard G 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Water doesn't burn because it's already burnt.
Oh, sure, it doesn't look burnt. Nonetheless, it's one of the chief products of combustion. Light a candle, gas jet, whatever, and what do you get? Mainly carbon dioxide and water. We started off with a hydrocarbon and the hydrogen oxidized. The result is water, a substance far more stable and thus less flammable than an unburnt mixture of hydrogen and oxygen.
Still, if you try hard enough you can get even water to burn. Try torching the stuff in the presence of fluorine gas. You get a nice hot flame that produces oxygen and hydrogen fluoride, which are more stable than water plus fluorine.
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a970905.html
hope this helps :)
2006-10-11 11:35:39 · answer #1 · answered by Karen J 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it doesn't burn.
The oxygen and Hydrogen are very securely molecularly bound. It takes a lot of energy to break the bonds. Trying to ignite water with a flame adds energy to the water but is only enough to allow the molecules to dissociate from their neighbours, creating steam. It is possible to separate the constituent part by a process called electrolysis, passing a current through the water. This would then give you Oxygen and Hydrogen gasses in a mix that would be extremely volatile. I do not recommend the experiment.
Note that pure water is quite a good insulater, in needs some impurities in it to make it conduct.
2006-10-12 08:08:00 · answer #2 · answered by lazydayz 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Hydrogen and oxygen individually are somewhat flammable but what you need to understand is that when two substances combine, they form a compound which is totally different and has different properties from the original elements.
Look at sodium chloride which is the salt we use at home, it is formed from a metal sodium and a yellow gas chlorine and the end result is a harmless, white salt which looks like neither of the two. This point i make refers to all things that react, the product of reactions will not necessarily have properties of the reactants.
Water is formed when a hydrogen molecule combines with oxygen, it has a PH of 7, which means it is neutral and non reactive. It is a universal solvent which can form suspensions, solutions etc, but it wont react and it isn't volatile.
I hope this makes it clearer............
2006-10-11 20:40:47 · answer #3 · answered by J D 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Oxides can be flammable, ethylene oxide being the most a common example. Nitrous oxide speeds up combustion by releasing oxygen easily so could be considered flammable also.
The simple answer is:
Hydrogen and oxygen gases are both high-energy chemicals, which have a lot of stored energy. However, when they are combined to make water, the reaction is exothermic, and a lot of this stored energy is released as excess heat. So, water is a low-energy chemical, and thus does not burn.
2006-10-11 20:59:47 · answer #4 · answered by Matty T 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It does NOT contain Hydrogen and Oxygen. It is MADE up of those two elements and that is a different thing altogether. If it CONTAINED both you could burn the Hydrogen in the Oxygen. In fact there are cars in England doing just that and trailing steam as they go.
2006-10-11 18:21:55 · answer #5 · answered by SouthOckendon 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
When different elements bond to form a compound, the compound has very different properties than the original elements. If you hydrolyze the water using electricity back into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, then they will both still be flammable
2006-10-11 18:22:28 · answer #6 · answered by echinate 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
When you burn Hydrogen in oxygen you get water. 2 atoms of hydrogen attatch themselves to one of oxygen. atoms have electrons wizzing around them, volotile substances have electrons that really cant wait to cling on to something else, except they need a bit of energy to do this. When Hydrogen is in oxygen and given that bit of energy (initiation energy) they electrons grab hold of oxygen and give off loads of energy and produce water. Now that the water has been produced there are no free electrons to be reactive. In fact they activly push more oxygen away, hence puting out fires (all fire needs oxygen to burn!)
2006-10-12 07:52:18 · answer #7 · answered by Dunk 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Water is already the stable product of a combustion - hydrogen and oxygen.
You can separate them again by introducing more energy, eg by electrolysis. Then burn them again (releasing energy) to convert back to water.
2006-10-11 18:18:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Just think about it for a minute!
What happens to something when you burn it?
Oxides are formed thats what!
Water is Hyrdrogen Oxide - one of the most stable compounds on Earth - chemically speaking.
What with all the synergic bonding...............
I hope you understand now - if not read over again until you do
2006-10-12 12:28:40 · answer #9 · answered by advent m 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is already burn. Put hydrogen and oxygen together and you get the fire you want. The water is like "ash".
2006-10-11 18:25:17 · answer #10 · answered by Dr. J. 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋