A vessel containing oxygen and hydrogen gases can exist indefinitely without exploding because the reaction between oxygen and hydrogen requires an activation energy to initiate the reaction.

Question

can u explain this answer i donot understand

Answer 1

Sure! In order for a chemical reaction to occur, there needs to be enough energy for the reactant molecules to overcome the energy barrier called activation energy. This energy is required to break the chemical bonds between the atoms in the reactant molecules.

In the case of the reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, there is a high activation energy that needs to be overcome for the reaction to start. This means that even if both gases are present in a vessel, they will not react unless a sufficient amount of energy is supplied to initiate the reaction.

In everyday conditions, the activation energy required for the reaction between oxygen and hydrogen is not normally supplied, so they can coexist in a vessel without exploding. However, if a spark, heat, or any other source of sufficient energy is added, it can provide the activation energy needed, and the reaction will occur rapidly, releasing a large amount of energy in the form of an explosion.

So, it's not until there is an external source of energy with sufficient activation energy to initiate the reaction that the oxygen and hydrogen will react and potentially cause an explosion.