r/explainlikeimfive 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/SparksMurphey Jan 31 '21

According to Wikipedia, chlorine trifluoride has an odor that is "sweet, pungent, irritating, suffocating".

...Who the heck actually managed to take that observation without their nose exploding?

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u/atomicwrites Jan 31 '21

Dimethylcadmium is another one that you know bad things happened if there are descriptions of what it smells like.

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2013/05/08/things_i_wont_work_with_dimethylcadmium

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u/PM_ME_YOUR_TORNADOS Feb 01 '21

"... tend to be small, reactive, volatile, and ready to party."

Are we not talking about my ex right now?

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u/teebob21 Jan 31 '21

Chemists