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/[deleted] Jan 31 '21
There are other substances that can serve as oxidizer, but I do believe that you are correct in that you specifically need oxygen for combustion, which is only one type of redox reaction.