Nuclear reaction or chemical reaction

[mike2007]

If you light a match to a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen which then reacts explosively to form water. Is it a chemical or nuclear reaction?

I know a chemical reaction is one in which a substance is changed into one or more new substances.

A nuclear reaction is one in which a new element can be made with different proton and neutron numbers.

I think from the above to would say the reaction is Nuclear and not chemical.
Please shed some light

 

[Astronuc]

In combustion of hydrogen with oxygen

2 H₂ + O₂ -> 2 H₂O

The element identities are preserved.

Now is it nuclear or chemcial?

 

[mike2007]

From the equation I would say the reaction is a chemical one.

 

[Astronuc]

That is correct.

Chemical reactions (e.g. combustion) do not affect the nucleus, so it is certainly not a nuclear reaction.

For nuclear reactions, see -

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuclear/nucrea.html

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/nucbin.html

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/fission.html

hyperphysics