2006-11-21 23:04:25 · 21 answers · asked by Sandi 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Burning is something that happens to solids before they become a liquid and then a gas. The melting, boiling and evaporation points for water prevent it from being burned in any of it's states.
2006-11-21 23:07:37 · answer #1 · answered by Jason 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not sure, I guess it depends on your definition of burning. If you mean by igniting it with a flame, then probably not. If you mean oxidising it (which is what generally happens when something burns in air) then it must be possible, the resulting chemical would be H2O2, generally known as Hydrogen Peroxide, but quite how you do it I don't remember.
Incidentally things don't necessarily require oxygen to burn in. I remember an experiment we did at school many years ago where a magnesium wire was burning in pure chlorine. The only requirements for 'burning' are that the atmosphere being 'burnt' in must be an oxidising agent, and that the material being 'burnt' must be flammable in that atmosphere.
(One of the previous answers said you can burn water if you heat it to 3000C and separate the hydrogen and oxygen first, but even if that works at 3000C (I don't know that it would) it would be the Hydrogen that is burning in Oxygen, not water that is burning.)
2006-11-22 00:04:59 · answer #2 · answered by Timbo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At over 3000 degrees centigrade water splits into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen. If it comes into contact with a naked flame either of these gases will burn. If the fire brigade suspect that the inferno is over temperature they will not pour water on because it will merely feed the fire. Instead they contain it and let it burn out. So yes, it is possible to burn water.
2006-11-23 09:37:30 · answer #3 · answered by prakdrive 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Suprisingly it is!
You thought of this because water is made up of two very explosive components!!
If you get an extremely high current (I mean thousands of amps) then run the current through a very fast flowing stream of water it will ignite!
I have seen this done, the effect is similar to an oxycetalyne torch, just alot hotter!!
Don't try this at home, atleast I did it in a safe lab!!
Chris
2006-11-22 21:28:44 · answer #4 · answered by Chris A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i don't think of your chum ought to burn water, besides the undeniable fact that it you detect a thank you to chop up water into hydrogen and oxygen you may properly be waiting to propose a controversy which you have burned water. be conscious it relatively is not comparable to evaporation or changing the water into steam, simply by fact the molecule continues to be preserved.
2016-10-22 13:14:44 · answer #5 · answered by mcsweeney 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Burning means oxidizing and as there is no way to break down water by combining with oxygen it cannot be burnt
2006-11-22 01:48:43 · answer #6 · answered by Da Funk 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is!
If you heat water to around 3000 degrees celcious it will separate into hydrogen and oxygen elemets - making it very very flamable indeed. So, at least in theory, it is possible
2006-11-21 23:15:13 · answer #7 · answered by board-stupid 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I say it is!
Reason being that when you heat water at very high temps it actually breaks down to 2H(HYDROGEN)+ O2(Oxygen)
In which they become a combastible combination thus they combust.
So yes water can burn.
2006-11-22 02:25:04 · answer #8 · answered by mich01 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You cannot burn water. It has no flashpoint (the point at which materials ignite). Water boils to form steam. ice is the solid state, water is the liquid state and steam is the "gaseous state"
2006-11-21 23:13:12 · answer #9 · answered by rgrahamh2o 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
For something to burn, it needs to have a flashpoint - the temperature at which that material will ignite.
I don't think water has a flashpoint. Therefore no, it can't burn.
2006-11-21 23:07:32 · answer #10 · answered by k² 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋