Hydrogen confusion?

Question

In the sixth grade,i went to a observatory and gas building on a field trip.One of them said "Hydrogen doesn't burn,it makes water vapor".Yet someone said hydrogen DOES burn.I can't tell who is wrong.

Please help me,Thank you.

Music Lover

Answer 1

What may be confusing you is that hydrogen doesn't undergo combustion like, say, gasoline does. Hydrogen wants really badly to combine with oxygen. Oxygen is the most electronegative atom that has 6 valence electrons. What that tells us is that oxygen pulls really hard on atoms like hydrogen, and since oxygen is present in the environment, it is only natural that the two combine. In this case it is the combination of 2 hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom- remember oxygen has 6 electrons in its outer shell and it wants to have 8 to be satisfied and stable, where one hydrogen can only donate one electron, so therefore oxygen needs two hydrogens to satisfy what is called the "octet rule." When multiple atoms combine like that, energy is generally released into the environment with the forming of new bonds. Think of it this way- it takes energy to break bonds, because you are physically breaking something, so naturally when bonds form they release energy. This energy comes in the form of heat. So when hydrogen and oxygen meet up, heat is released. When you burn a candle, the flame releases heat as well, right? So thats why the two types of "burning" can be easily confused.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Hi. Hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen atoms (2 to 1) to make water. It burns.

Answer 3

and, in a combustion process if the air is not enough, there will be CO in the production. because: as said above, O2 are more willing to react with hydrogen instead of C. so all the hydrogen have their oxygen and lead to H2O while C have to use remaing O2 which is not enough for all of the C to lead to CO2.

Answer 4

Famous picture of hydrogen fire at this link.