Defining the law of conservation of mass in the field of chemistry
According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, a balanced chemical equation has the same mass of reactants and products.
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Updated on October 09, 2019
Chemistry is a physical science that studies matter, energy and how they interact. When studying these interactions, it's important to understand the law of conservation of mass.
Key Takeaways: Conservation of Mass
- Simply stated, the law of conservation of mass means matter cannot be created or destroyed, but it can change forms.
- In chemistry, the law is used to balance chemical equations. The number and type of atoms must be the same for both reactants and products.
- Credit for discovering the law may be given to either Mikhail Lomonosov or Antoine Lavoisier.
Law of Conservation of Mass Definition
The law of conservation of mass is that, in a closed or isolated system, matter cannot be created or destroyed. It can change forms but is conserved.
Law of Conservation of Mass in Chemistry
In the context of the study of chemistry, the law of conservation of mass says that in a chemical reaction, the mass of the products equals the mass of the reactants.
To clarify: An isolated system is one that does not interact with its surroundings. Therefore, the mass contained in that isolated system will remain constant, regardless of any transformations or chemical reactions that occur—while the result may be different than what you had in the beginning, there can't be any more or less mass than what you had prior to the transformation or reaction.
The law of conservation of mass was crucial to the progression of chemistry, as it helped scientists understand that substances did not disappear as result of a reaction (as they may appear to do); rather, they transform into another substance of equal mass.
History credits multiple scientists with discovering the law of conservation of mass. Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov noted it in his diary as a result of an experiment in 1756. In 1774, French chemist Antoine Lavoisier meticulously documented experiments that proved the law. The law of conservation of mass is known by some as Lavoisier's Law.
In defining the law, Lavoisier stated, "Atoms of an object cannot be created or destroyed, but can be moved around and be changed into different particles."
Sources
- Okuň, Lev Borisovič (2009). Energy and Mass in Relativity Theory. World Scientific. ISBN 978-981-281-412-8.
- Whitaker, Robert D. (1975). "An historical note on the conservation of mass." Journal of Chemical Education. 52 (10): 658. doi:10.1021/ed052p658
The law of conservation of mass states that mass within a closed system remains the same over time. Discover more about the law of conservation of mass, including its importance, equations, and some examples of this law in action.
- Formula
- Examples
- FAQs
What is the Law of Conservation of Mass?
The law of conservation of mass states that
“The mass in an isolated system can neither be created nor be destroyed but can be transformed from one form to another”.
According to the law of conservation of mass, the mass of the reactants must be equal to the mass of the products for a low energy thermodynamic process.
It is believed that there are a few assumptions from classical mechanics which define mass conservation. Later the law of conservation of mass was modified with the help of quantum mechanics and special relativity that energy and mass are one conserved quantity. In 1789, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier discovered the law of conservation of mass.
Law of conservation of mass can be expressed in the differential form using the continuity equation in fluid mechanics and continuum mechanics as:
\(\begin{array}{l}\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t}+\bigtriangledown (\rho v)=0\end{array} \)
Where,
- ρ is the density
- t is the time
- v is the velocity
- ▽ is the divergence
Related Articles:
- Law of Conservation of Momentum Derivation
- Mass And Weight
Law of Conservation of Mass Examples
- Combustion process: Burning of wood is a conservation of mass as the burning of wood involves Oxygen, Carbon dioxide, water vapor and ashes.
- Chemical reactions: To get one molecule of H2O (water) with the molecular weight of 10, Hydrogen with molecular weight 2 is added with Oxygen whose molecular weight is 8, thereby conserving the mass.
Law of Conservation of Mass Problems
Q1. 10 grams of calcium
carbonate (CaCO3) produces 3.8 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) and 6.2 grams of calcium oxide (CaO). Represent this reaction in terms of law of conservation of mass.
Ans: According to law of conservation of mass:
Mass of reactants = Mass of products
∴ 10 gram of CaCO3 = 3.8 grams of CO2 + 6.2 grams of CaO
10 grams of reactant = 10 grams of products
Hence, it is proved that the law of conservation of mass is followed by the above reaction.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Why is there no change in mass during chemical reactions? During a chemical reaction,
atoms are neither created nor destroyed. The atoms of the reactants are just rearranged to form products. Hence, there is no change in mass in a chemical reaction. According to the law of conservation of mass, during any
physical or chemical change, the matter is neither created nor destroyed. However, it may change from one form to another. Below, we have listed an experiment that will help you verify the law of conservation of mass. The ultimate source of energy in our present universe is the Big Bang. All the energy was created at the beginning of time and as the universe grew several stages of particulate matter developed, produced from that energy. By the time of the Modern
Universe, the energy was distributed either into mass, or kinetic energy or chemical energy in lumps of matter, or radiant energy. The masses are classified into galaxies and stars within them. The sun is one of those stars and got the energy from the primordial Big Bang.Verify law of conservation of mass with an experiment
Requirements: H-shaped tube, also known as Landolt’s tube; Sodium chloride solution; silver nitrate solution.
Procedure: Sodium chloride solution is taken in one limb of the H-tube and silver nitrate solution in the other limb as shown in the figure. Both the limbs are now
sealed and weighed. Now the tubes are averted so that the solutions can mix up together and react chemically. The reaction takes place and a white precipitate of silver chloride is obtained. The tube is weighed after the reaction has taken place. The mass of the tube is found to be exactly the same as the mass obtained before inverting the tube. This experiment clearly verifies the law of conservation of mass.If energy is neither created nor destroyed, what is the ultimate source of energy?
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