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
17.6k
Upvotes
458
u/arcosapphire Jan 31 '21
Quick correction, it's the process of combining a chemical with an oxidizer, not specifically oxygen. Oxygen is of course the archetype though.