Is O2 flammable?

[Meredith92]

---

Members do not see this ad.

In the self assessment for chemistry Question 78 answer says that hydrogen is flammable oxygen is nonflammable. is this true? I thought O2 was very flammable?

 

[sp808]

Yeah, I just took the chemistry self-assessment yesterday and got that question wrong too. H2 and O2 are both flammable as far as I can tell, and I'm not sure why the answer explanation only uses flammability as the rationale. I looked at the passage again though and it mentioned that upon formation of the gas the solution became basic, which might indicate protons leaving the solution to form H2 gas. This seems reasonable to me but I'm not sure if that's how we were supposed to figure out the answer, especially since it wasn't in the answer explanation.

I always get gas formation problems wrong.. Does anybody have a solid way of determining what type of gases are produced in different chemical reactions?

 

[Meredith92]

I get gas formation problems wrong too!! We may have just needed to assume the reactants were
Metals and in water they form H2.

 

[MedGrl@2022]

In the self assessment for chemistry Question 78 answer says that hydrogen is flammable oxygen is nonflammable. is this true? I thought O2 was very flammable?

I don't think O2 is flammable. Think about it... our atmosphere would be burning up.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03291.htm

 

[image187]

I don't think O2 is flammable. Think about it... our atmosphere would be burning up.

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03291.htm

Clearly, 21% O2 is not very flammable. But pure O2 is very much so. During defibrillation of a patient as per ACLS protocols, you always need to make sure that oxygen lines (in addition to people) and such are clear from the patient before you blow them up trying to save their lives. Also, a COPD'er who likes to smoke while he uses his home oxygen is just as much asking for trouble. This is a real hazard.

In short, I guess the answer to this question depends on what concentration of oxygen you're talking about.

 

[KGflyboy]

Oxygen is not flammable. Oxygen is a required reactant in a combustion reaction. You can't burn pure oxygen. Other substances which are flammable consume oxygen when they burn.

 

[Shams al Deen]

Haha I'm always getting the gas formation ones wrong too. You can easily narrow them down to 2 choices but then I always guess wrong. Is the only reason H2 is correct here because of flammability? If that's so, then it's a stupid question. Where on the AAMC content outline does it say we need to memorize different properties of real gasses. Nothing in the structure of O2 or H2 tells us anything about flammability.

 

[survivordo]

Oxygen is not flammable. Oxygen is a required reactant in a combustion reaction. You can't burn pure oxygen. Other substances which are flammable consume oxygen when they burn.

This👍

 

[Meredith92]

Oxygen is not flammable. Oxygen is a required reactant in a combustion reaction. You can't burn pure oxygen. Other substances which are flammable consume oxygen when they burn.

This makes sense thank you! Anyone have any tips on how to figure out gases produced? I always somehow choose oxygen when hydrogen is the right answer

 

[KGflyboy]

This makes sense thank you! Anyone have any tips on how to figure out gases produced? I always somehow choose oxygen when hydrogen is the right answer

I can't offer advice here, but on the bright side I doubt you get a question like that on the MCAT. I guess it's possible you will and that I just got lucky, but I didn't see anything like that on the test.