Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

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You can't burn water, because it's already burnt (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/showerthoughts

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Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material. Water is 2 hydrogen and 1 oxygen. Every molecule is fully oxidized. It's also a common byproduct of fire. Therefore, you can't burn it, because it's already burnt

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So what would you call it when you combust water by exposing it to burning metals like magnesium?

[–] Mediocre_Bard 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Honest question. Isn't the metal combusting at that point?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Both contribute to the combustion, but it's the metal that's fuelling it while water plays the role that air/oxygen usually would. I think codyslab did a video where he had a flame fed by air in an atmosphere of methane which demonstrates the concept that actually you need both fuel and oxidiser for the flame, and one "burns" in an "inert" atmosphere of the other