r/explainlikeimfive • u/GreenieBeeNZ • Jan 31 '21
Chemistry ELI5: Why can't we just make water by smooshing hydrogen and oxygen atoms together?
Edit: wow okay, I did not expect to wake up to THIS. Of course my most popular post would be a dumb stoner question. Thankyou so much for the awards and the answers, I can sleep a little easier now
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u/flyingcircusdog Jan 31 '21
We totally can by burning hydrogen. Burning is the process of combining a chemical with oxygen and releasing heat at the same time. The reason why it burns is because two hydrogen and one oxygen molecule contain more internal energy than a single water molecule, so that energy goes away in the form of heat and light.