Multiple Choice
According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, what happens to the total mass of substances during a chemical reaction?
86
views
2. Atoms & Elements
Law of Conservation of Mass
Multiple Choice
Which types of changes obey the law of conservation of mass?
A
Only chemical changes
B
Only nuclear changes
C
Only physical changes
D
Physical changes and chemical changes
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the law of conservation of mass: it states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system during any process.
Recognize that physical changes involve changes in the state or appearance of a substance without altering its chemical identity, so mass remains constant.
Know that chemical changes involve rearrangement of atoms to form new substances, but the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products, thus obeying the law.
Note that nuclear changes involve changes in the nucleus of atoms, often converting mass into energy according to Einstein's equation \(E=mc^{2}\), so mass is not strictly conserved in nuclear reactions.
Conclude that both physical and chemical changes obey the law of conservation of mass, while nuclear changes do not strictly follow this law.
Related Videos
Related Practice
