During an investigation a scientist burned 48 g of magnesium strip. After the reaction the total mass of the product formed was found to be 80 g. Does the law of conservation of mass hold true in this case? Use complete sentences to justify your answer based on numerical calculations.

Answer 1

To determine if the law of conservation of mass holds true in this case, we need to compare the mass of the reactant (magnesium) with the mass of the product formed after the reaction.

The mass of the magnesium strip before the reaction was 48 g.

The mass of the product formed after the reaction was 80 g.

If the law of conservation of mass holds true, the mass of the reactant should be equal to the mass of the product.

In this case, the mass of the product is greater than the mass of the reactant.

Therefore, based on numerical calculations, we can conclude that the law of conservation of mass does not hold true in this case.