How can water catch on fire with AA batteries?

Answer 1

No, because fire is a stable comound that already has oxygen with in it, it is impossible to set it on fire because fire is mearly the energy produced when a flamable material combines with oxygen. Water because it already has oxygen with in it can not have more oxygen molecules added to it, and therfore can not burn.

Batteries will not change that.

However, there is a prosses called electrolosis that seperates the hydrogen and oxygen particles of water. Hydrogen is extremely flamable and oxygen gas encorages combustion so the gas produced from electrolosis would burn violently. This however requies much more power than a battery, and requiers very specific equipment to do.

In addion to this, pure water is not that good of a conductor, it is the impurities with in water (desoved minerals) that give it its conductive properties.

Answer 2

Please note that the batteries have two polar ends the positive (+) and the negative (-). By placing the batteries in the water, they produce a charge through the water (not in the sense of current, but in ion attractions). There are two types of ions that form water: H2 which is a positive ion (+), and O which is a negative ion (-). The batteries actually separate the ions out of the water, with the (+) end of the battery collecting the (-) ions O, and the (-) end of the battery collection the (+) ions H2. If you place a large enough battery in the water, you could break down all the water. This is actually the method scientists use to collect pure oxygen or hydrogen. By placing the batteries in for 30-40 minutes, small amounts of hydrogen are separated from the water molecules and are floating around in the water. Energy is taken from the batteries and stored in the water. The last part of the experiment is lighting the water on fire. This part proves that the hydrogen was separated. The flame is the energy being removed from the water that was previously stored. When the hydrogen is burned it is converted back into H20. so the same amount of water should be returned into the glass except for the steam from the heat of the water. please ask me if you have any more questions i am a high school chemistry teacher. i do this experiment alot in my classroom.