UNIT 3 – CHEMICAL WORLD The law of conservation of mass
The law of conservation of mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed but can change from one form to another. In both physical and chemical changes, the total mass of matter stays the same.
? TEST TUBE
4. When you open a can of a fizzy drink, does the mass of the drink increase, decrease or stay the same? Is there a chemical or a physical change taking place?
Eureka
French chemist Antoine Lavoisier (1743–1794) discovered the law of conservation of mass. When he heated different substances in air, he found that the total mass of the chemicals and all the apparatus at the beginning of the investigation was the same as the total mass at the end, even though a chemical change had occurred.
)Fig. 15.7 Antoine Lavoisier
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION 15.2
How can we investigate the law of conservation of mass in physical and chemical changes?
Equipment Ice cubes
Sealable plastic bags (1 medium, 1 large)
Mass balance Graduated cylinder Vinegar
Method Part A 1. Place some ice cubes in a sealable plastic bag.
2. Measure the mass using a mass balance. 3. Set the bag aside until the ice cubes have melted.
4. Predict whether the total mass of the bag containing the melted ice will have increased, decreased or stayed the same.
5. Measure the mass of the bag once all the ice has melted.
6. Is this a physical or a chemical change? Explain your results and conclusion.
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)Fig. 15.8 To investigate the law of conservation of mass