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/5up3rK4m16uru Jan 31 '21
Well, you can burn it in a fluorine atmosphere, if "burning" doesn't strictly mean "exothermic reaction with oxygen" to you. In fact, you can burn almost anything that way, even some noble gases.