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Investigating the Conservation of Mass in Chemical and Physical Changes
In the chemical world, understanding how mass behaves during changes is fundamental. One key principle in both chemistry and physics is the conservation of mass, which states that mass remains unchanged when chemical or physical changes occur. This principle is important in helping us understand how matter behaves in different situations.
Investigating Physical Changes
A physical change happens when the form or appearance of a substance changes, but the substance itself stays the same. Examples of physical changes include melting, freezing, and dissolving. These changes are usually reversible, and the substance keeps its original properties.
For example, when ice melts into water, it may look different, but the mass remains the same. This is because the number of water molecules doesn’t change; they are just rearranged in a different state (from solid to liquid). If you weigh the ice before it melts and then weigh the liquid water after, you’ll see that the mass is unchanged.
Another example is dissolving salt in water. The salt may seem to disappear, but if you evaporate the water, you’ll be left with the same amount of salt you started with. The total mass of the water and salt together is the same before and after the salt dissolves.
Investigating Chemical Changes
A chemical change happens when a substance undergoes a reaction and forms one or more new substances. These changes are often irreversible, and new products with different properties are formed.
For instance, when you burn a piece of magnesium in air, it reacts with oxygen to form magnesium oxide. You might notice that the product (magnesium oxide) has more mass than the original magnesium metal. This happens because the oxygen from the air has combined with the magnesium, adding to the overall mass. However, if you were to measure the total mass of the magnesium and the oxygen before the reaction and the total mass of the magnesium oxide afterwards, they would be the same. This shows that even though a chemical change has occurred, mass is conserved.
Mass Is Always Conserved
Whether a physical change (like melting or dissolving) or a chemical change (like burning or rusting) takes place, the total mass of the substances involved stays the same. The particles that make up matter—atoms and molecules—are simply rearranged in different ways. In physical changes, the arrangement changes but the substance stays the same, while in chemical changes, new substances are formed, but the total mass remains constant. This principle of the conservation of mass is a key concept in understanding the behaviour of matter during both types of changes.
In the chemical world, understanding how mass behaves during changes is fundamental. One key principle in both chemistry and physics is the conservation of mass, which states that mass remains unchanged when chemical or physical changes occur. This principle is important in helping us understand how matter behaves in different situations.
Investigating Physical Changes
A physical change happens when the form or appearance of a substance changes, but the substance itself stays the same. Examples of physical changes include melting, freezing, and dissolving. These changes are usually reversible, and the substance keeps its original properties.
For example, when ice melts into water, it may look different, but the mass remains the same. This is because the number of water molecules doesn’t change; they are just rearranged in a different state (from solid to liquid). If you weigh the ice before it melts and then weigh the liquid water after, you’ll see that the mass is unchanged.
Another example is dissolving salt in water. The salt may seem to disappear, but if you evaporate the water, you’ll be left with the same amount of salt you started with. The total mass of the water and salt together is the same before and after the salt dissolves.
Investigating Chemical Changes
A chemical change happens when a substance undergoes a reaction and forms one or more new substances. These changes are often irreversible, and new products with different properties are formed.
For instance, when you burn a piece of magnesium in air, it reacts with oxygen to form magnesium oxide. You might notice that the product (magnesium oxide) has more mass than the original magnesium metal. This happens because the oxygen from the air has combined with the magnesium, adding to the overall mass. However, if you were to measure the total mass of the magnesium and the oxygen before the reaction and the total mass of the magnesium oxide afterwards, they would be the same. This shows that even though a chemical change has occurred, mass is conserved.
Mass Is Always Conserved
Whether a physical change (like melting or dissolving) or a chemical change (like burning or rusting) takes place, the total mass of the substances involved stays the same. The particles that make up matter—atoms and molecules—are simply rearranged in different ways. In physical changes, the arrangement changes but the substance stays the same, while in chemical changes, new substances are formed, but the total mass remains constant. This principle of the conservation of mass is a key concept in understanding the behaviour of matter during both types of changes.
