Burning water

[Lakewood]

Since H20 and o2 are flammable, why doesn't water burn?

[shammydodger]

If you'd witness my mam's cooking exploits, you'd know that it does!

I don't understand the question. The first formula you gave IS water, and yet you say it is flammable? Have you made a typo?

[Loosehead]

I think Lakewood means:

As water is comprised of 2 flamable elements why doesn't it burn?

[jake-the-peg]

Water is "already burnt"

It is the product of "burning" or reacting hydrogen with oxygen.

[shammydodger]

Methinks we may see a discussion develop regarding what is meant by "burning", "combustion" etc.

[Gef]

Neither water nor oxygen is flammable.

[shammydodger]

Quite right, Tony.

Anybody who disagrees with Tony, try writing an equation to represent the combustion of oxygen!

[shammydodger]

And Gef, of course!

[jake-the-peg]

Ah I see a gramatical ambiguity with my post I meant

it is the product of "burning" (or reacting hydrogen with oxygen)

Brackets put in for the pedants :c)

[Casztor]

although if the fire is hot enough any water added will break down into it's component parts i.e. oxygen and hydrogen, and as the saying goes "add fuel to the fire".

[shammydodger]

I don't understand the last 2 posts

[Matt_PNE]

Oxygen itself isn't flammable, but reacts with other chemicals in a reaction so exothermic that it causes combustion of the material with which is reacts.

As for your question about water - H2 and O2 alone are indeed fire risks. However, you need to remember that the properties of a molecule comprised of various elements often differ greatly from the proterties of these constituent elements. For example, carbon isn't toxic (it is used as a stomach was after overdose) and nitrogen is the main gas in the atmosphere, but if you combine them to form the CN- ion, you have cyanide, which certainly won't do you much good. Also, while iron is magnetic, several iron compunds are not.

Good question though.