Who proposed the law of conservation of mass

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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.

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

  • 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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

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What happens to the mass of a burned object?

Who proposed the law of conservation of mass

Who proposed the law of conservation of mass

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The law of conservation of matter says that mass can not be created or destroyed. Below we go into detail on this law, work through some example questions, and discuss the origins of the law of conservation of mass.

What is the Law of Conservation of Mass

The law of conservation of mass states that in a reaction matter can not be created or destroyed. That means that the mass of all reactants in a reaction will be equal to the mass of all the products. The mass may change forms in the reaction but the matter is neither created or destroyed.

Another way to say this is that matter is conserved in a closed system. A closed system is where nothing (gas, water, other) can enter or leave. All products are contained within the system. Matter can not enter or leave the system. A closed system could be a well-sealed test tube, or it could be the entire earth.

The law of conservation of mass is also referred to as the law of conservation of matter and the two names are often used interchangeably. Other names sometimes used for the law also include the law of matter conservation or the law of mass conservation.

Can matter be created or destroyed?

No, matter can not be created or destroyed. In a closed system, you will always start and end with the same amount of matter/mass.

It may sometimes appear that mass disappears if a gas is produced and not measured. However, all products need to be taken into account. In a closed system, the mass of the reactants will always equal the mass of the products.   

Law of Conservation of Matter Examples

All chemical reactions can demonstrate the law of conservation of matter. In some reactions, it will be easier to observe, however.

For example, a good reaction is solid KI reacting with solid Hg(NO3)2 to form solid KNO3 and solid HgI2.

KI (s) + Hg(NO3)2(s) –> KNO3 (s) + HgI2(s)

The solids are easily massed and no gas produced that must be captured. The reaction takes place in water. HgI2 precipitates out and removed with a filter. Next, the water can be evaporated off to get the KNO3.

Who proposed the law of conservation of mass
Potassium Iodide (KI) Powder (Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Added bonus, here is a cool experiment with potassium iodide (KI)!

Example Question:

You have the reaction below:

AB + CD –> AD + CB

You start with 4.03 grams of AB and 2.09 grams of CD. You measure 4.85 grams of CB. How many grams of AD do you have?

Who proposed the law of conservation of mass
Source: Wikipedia Commons

Answer:

There must be equal masses of product and reactant. We have 4.03 g + 2.09 g = 6.12 g of reactant. Therefore, CB + AD must equal 6.12g.

4.85 g + AD = 6.12g

Solving the above equation for AD, the answer is 1.27g of AD.

History of the Law of Conservation of Matter

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier discovered the law of conservation of mass in 1789. Lavoisier lived from 1743-1794 in France and made many chemical discoveries. By performing combustion reactions in a closed container with careful measurements he discovered the law of mass conservation. In his scientific career, he generally focused on reactions with oxygen and other gasses, finding them particularly interesting. Fittingly, one of his other discoveries was the oxygen theory of combustion. Additionally, Marie Ann, Lavoisier’s wife, was also influential in his scientific experiments and ability to disseminate them.

Who proposed the law of conservation of mass
A portrait of Lavoisier and his wife Marie Ann. (Source: Wikipedia Commons)