* Two oxygen atoms bond together: Oxygen exists naturally as a diatomic molecule (O₂). This means two oxygen atoms are already bonded together.
* The bond breaks: When hydrogen and oxygen react, the bond between the two oxygen atoms breaks.
* Each oxygen atom forms a bond with two hydrogen atoms: Each oxygen atom then forms a single bond with two separate hydrogen atoms. This creates a water molecule (H₂O).
In essence, the oxygen atoms go from being bonded to another oxygen atom to being bonded to two hydrogen atoms.
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