What is the product of burning hydrogen?

What is the product of burning hydrogen? Smoke? Hydrocarbons? Or nothing? Thanks!

Comments

[frollard]

burning something is combining a fuel with oxygen. If you burn a hydrocarbon, you get water (hydrogen and oxygen) and carbon dioxide (carbon and oxygen). If you burn hydrogen gas (H₂) then you get 2 H₂ + O₂ --> 2 H₂0. H₂0 is ...water...and you have a balanced equation, so there are no other products. Homework?  Since it is exothermic, and the output is water, you are likely to end up with hot...water...or steam :)

[joespicnictables]

so if hydrogen justs burns i still get steam? (not homework, just a project.)

[NachoMahma]

.  Yep. In a "perfect" reaction 2H₂ + O₂ -> 2H₂O + heat
.  As steveastrouk points out, in the real world, there will be other components, but water will be the main one.

[frollard]

Sure does -- Like they say, if you get air 'hot' in any reaction, its not just oxygen -- its got a bunch of nitrogen, neon, xenon, and other fun gasses -- most of them don't react, because the hydrogen and oxygen are really happy to mingle, but a few do - thus you end up with trace amounts of other stuff. Similarly, if you burn propane in a controlled setting you get ideally: (C₃H₈ + 5 O₂ >> 4 H₂O + 3 CO₂ + heat).  If you do it in air you get nitrogen (N2) forming a few extra chemicals...

[joespicnictables]

Actully im going to vacuum out all the air in a tank and then fill the tank 1/4 full of hydrogen and than make a spark in there. What will it produce?

[steveastrouk]

Nothing: It needs oxygen. Hydrogen doesn't burn without it. Anything more than 5% hydrogen in air will explode with a spark ignition.

[frollard]

Are you sure that's not homework?

[joespicnictables]

ya, its a project for a fusion reactor. (plus it still summer) :P

[jeff-o]

Assuming there is also some oxygen in there: an explosion.

[Re-design]

Uh, mostly HEAT.

[lemonie]

The name is derived from the Greek hudro meaning water, and -gen also from the Greek genes meaning to be born / become.
Hence Hydrogen means "water-creator".

L

[Kiteman]

Dihydrogen monoxide.

[steveastrouk]

Except if you burn in air, you get some nitrous compounds too apparently.