OK, but a lot of other things we consider ‘burnt’ are also the results of incomplete combustion - like water; the result of incomplete combustion of hydrogen in the presence of oxygen, but absence of fluorine.
I know your point, but the kicksave on my point is that I DID say that it wasn’t reacting, which the oxygen is. There’s also got to be like multiple magnitudes of order more water than there is elemental oxygen on earth.
I think the distinction would be lost on most casual observers, for a few of reasons:
– water does react with things - for example, in causing metals to rust.
– even when water isn’t actually reacting, it often looks like it is, because it is such a common solvent
– oxygen is pretty much invisible, so it’s hard to see it reacting.
A.Water is not changing chemically to make rust. The acidic or salty water acts as a medium for the reaction, and more water is produced by the oxidation of the iron atoms. General Chemistry Online: FAQ: Redox reactions: How does iron rust?
B. Most people don’t think that water is chemically changed when it acts as a solvent.
C. Yes, it’s hard to see the oxygen reacting, but by this point in the class I’ve hopefully beat into them that “burning” means “combining with oxygen”, and they’ve already taken biology, so they know that elemental oxygen is involved in some very prevalent reactions.
I heard it takes a lot of energy to remove the H from H2O
Rust doesn’t consist solely of metal oxides:
(Graping mine for emphasis)
Having reread my link, I see that the hydroxides do come from the water. So basically (ha!) water is consumed to make rust.
But I don’t get your point about metal oxides… OHHH. The iron is oxidized when it loses electrons, which is what I was referring to. The atom has been ionized by oxidation. In chemistry nerd-land, what the iron is combined with in the end is kind of immaterial to the term “oxidation”.
Steve Martin is a trustee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Wow, what a screwup. :smack: :rolleyes: 
:o