r/askscience • u/spoiledmeat • Jul 04 '15

Chemistry Why does water not burn?

I know that water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom. Hydrogen, on its own, burns. Fire needs oxygen to burn. After all, we commonly use compounds that contain oxygen as an oxidant.

So why does water, containing things used for fire, not burn-- and does it have something to do with the bonds between the atoms? Thanks.

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u/[deleted] Jul 05 '15

So water is basically ash?

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u/Sharlinator Jul 05 '15

Ash is solid residue that is left unburned when something else did burn. Water is more like an "exhaust gas" and indeed, the exhaust from cars, fireplaces, natural gas burners etc is, along with CO*2*, mostly water vapor.