Step 1
The chemical reactions of hydrogen combustion occur because
certain atoms and molecules are very reactive—they are
unstable on their own and quickly combine with other
molecules or atoms.
Adding the single hydrogen atom to the mixture of oxygen and
hydrogen gas, as you did, led to a series of chemical
reactions.
Step 2
The single hydrogen atom (H) reacted with a molecule of
oxygen (O2), producing a molecule of hydroxyl
radical (OH) and an atom of oxygen (O). Both OH and O are
also highly reactive.
Step 3
The OH molecule reacted (very rapidly) with a hydrogen
molecule (H2), producing a water molecule
(H2O) and another hydrogen atom (H). The oxygen
atom liberated in Step 2 reacted with H2,
producing new OH and H.
Step 4
The new OH molecule reacted with another H2
molecule, producing another molecule of water
(H2O) and yet another hydrogen atom (H).
Steps 5 -
The three hydrogen atoms liberated by this reaction quickly
reacted with three other O2 molecules, which
resulted in the liberation of nine other hydrogen atoms.
Those nine liberated 27 more, then those 27 liberated 81,
and so on. This is known as a branching chain reaction.
