• AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It’s absolutely accurate, you’re just missing the fact that H2 and O2 have to oxidize, aka “burn,” to create that bond.

    Forming that bond frees up a single Hydrogen atom, splitting the bond it has with its partner and causing a reaction that ends up releasing the excess energy of the Hydrogen molecule, and bonding one of the Hydrogen atoms to two Oxygen atoms, that allowed the oxidation in the first place. It also releases a large amount of energy, if you’re a Hydrogen or Oxygen atom, or a tiny amount of mostly heat energy if you’re a human.

    This is also true of all other “ash” products created by oxidization of pretty much any fuel from trees to iron. Once you “burn” the compound, it becomes chemically inert for further oxidation, because the atomic bonds of the molecules are about as stable as they can get.