How can a balanced chemical equation prove the Law of Conservation of Mass?

Quick Check and Test Help
In a chemical reaction, the mass of the reactants (before the arrow) must be equal to the mass of the products (after the arrow). If there are 50 grams of reactants, there must be 50 grams of products. If there are two products, then the two masses must add up to equal 50 grams.

Lessons 7-9 are all about the Unit 3 Portfolio. Make sure you follow the portfolio guide to make things easier on yourself.

Lesson 10: Law of Conservation of Matter
What is the objective of this lesson?

What does the Law of Conservation of Matter state?

Are the Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Conservation of Matter describing the same phenomenon or different ideas?

If you begin a reaction with 3 atoms, how many atoms will be present at the end of the reaction?

11 answers

How a Balanced Chemical Equation Proves the Law of Conservation of Mass

A balanced chemical equation demonstrates the Law of Conservation of Mass by showing that the number of atoms for each element present in the reactants is equal to the number of atoms for those elements in the products. This equality ensures that mass is conserved throughout the chemical reaction. For example, if a reaction begins with certain reactants, a balanced equation will account for all the atoms involved and confirm that the same total mass of matter exists on both sides of the equation.

Quick Check and Test Help

The principle of conservation of mass can be illustrated with an example involving masses:

  1. Mass of Reactants = Mass of Products: If a chemical reaction has 50 grams of reactants, the total mass of the products formed must also be 50 grams.
  2. Multiple Products: If the reaction produces multiple products, the combined mass of these products will still equal the initial mass of the reactants, asserting that no mass is lost or created during the reaction.

Lesson 10: Law of Conservation of Matter

Objective of the Lesson

The objective of this lesson is to understand the principles of the Law of Conservation of Matter and how it relates to chemical reactions and balanced equations.

Law of Conservation of Matter

The Law of Conservation of Matter states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system. This means that the quantity of matter remains constant, and any change in the form of matter does not result in a loss or gain of mass.

Difference Between the Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Conservation of Matter

The Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Conservation of Matter describe the same fundamental principle – that the total mass remains constant in any closed system during a chemical reaction. However, the terms can sometimes have slightly different implications depending on the context. In most cases, they are used interchangeably in chemistry.

Atom Quantity in Reactions

If you begin a reaction with 3 atoms, you will have 3 atoms present at the end of the reaction. Regardless of the types of bonds formed or break, the total count of individual atoms remains unchanged, in accordance with the Law of Conservation of Matter.

can you shorten that down and simplify it a little bit please?

How a Balanced Chemical Equation Proves the Law of Conservation of Mass

A balanced chemical equation shows that the number of atoms in the reactants equals the number of atoms in the products. This equality proves that mass is conserved during a reaction. For example, if there are 50 grams of reactants, the products must also total 50 grams, confirming that no mass is lost or created.


Lesson 10: Law of Conservation of Matter

Objective of the Lesson

To understand how the Law of Conservation of Matter applies to chemical reactions.

Law of Conservation of Matter

This law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed; the total amount remains constant.

Law of Conservation of Mass vs. Matter

Both laws describe the same principle: the total mass of a closed system stays the same during a chemical reaction, though they might be used in slightly different contexts.

Atom Quantity in Reactions

If you start with 3 atoms in a reaction, you will have 3 atoms at the end. The number of atoms remains constant, which supports the Law of Conservation of Matter.

Where are the reactants and products located in a chemical equation?

Subscripts are the small numbers that go below a chemical symbol. They show us how many atoms of an element are in a molecule. Coefficients are the larger numbers that go in front of a chemical formula. They tell us how many molecules are taking part in a reaction.
For each of the expressions below, can you find the total number of atoms represented?
2MgCl2 How many- Mg: ______ Cl: _______ Total Atoms: _________
NaBr How many- Na: ______ Br: ________ Total Atoms: __________
4H2O How many- H: _______ O: _______ Total Atoms: ________

The table below shows the masses of some elements. Find the mass of each compound above.
Element
Mass of an Atom (amu)
Element
Mass of an Atom (amu)
Mg
24
Na
23
Cl
35
Br
80
H
1
O
16

Mass of MgCl2: ____________
Mass of NaBr: _____________Mass of H2O: _____________

Answer the above questions, so that you can make sure you’re doing it correctly.
For each of the expressions below, can you find the total number of atoms represented?
2MgCl2 How many- Mg: ______ Cl: _______ Total Atoms: ________
NaBr How many- Na: _____ Br: _______ Total Atoms: _________
4H2O How many- H: ______ O: ______ Total Atoms: ________
Mass of MgCl2: ____________
Mass of NaBr: _____________
Mass of H2O: _____________

Page 9- What does it mean for an equation to be balanced?

Complete Practice Question #1 on page 10.
Slides 12-17 are optional.

Reactants and Products in a Chemical Equation

In a chemical equation, the reactants are located on the left side of the arrow, while the products are on the right side. The arrow indicates the direction of the reaction.

Finding Total Number of Atoms for the Given Expressions

  1. 2MgCl₂

    • Mg: 2
    • Cl: 4 (because there are 2 Cl atoms in each MgCl₂ molecule)
    • Total Atoms: 2 (Mg) + 4 (Cl) = 6 atoms
  2. NaBr

    • Na: 1
    • Br: 1
    • Total Atoms: 1 (Na) + 1 (Br) = 2 atoms
  3. 4H₂O

    • H: 8 (because there are 2 H atoms in each H₂O molecule)
    • O: 4 (1 O atom in each H₂O molecule, multiplied by 4)
    • Total Atoms: 8 (H) + 4 (O) = 12 atoms

Mass of Each Compound

Using the masses of the individual elements:

  1. Mass of MgCl₂:

    • Mg: 1 × 24 amu = 24 amu
    • Cl: 2 × 35 amu = 70 amu
    • Total Mass of MgCl₂: 24 + 70 = 94 amu
  2. Mass of NaBr:

    • Na: 1 × 23 amu = 23 amu
    • Br: 1 × 80 amu = 80 amu
    • Total Mass of NaBr: 23 + 80 = 103 amu
  3. Mass of H₂O:

    • H: 2 × 1 amu = 2 amu
    • O: 1 × 16 amu = 16 amu
    • Total Mass of H₂O: 2 + 16 = 18 amu

Summary of Results

  • 2MgCl₂: Mg: 2, Cl: 4, Total Atoms: 6
  • NaBr: Na: 1, Br: 1, Total Atoms: 2
  • 4H₂O: H: 8, O: 4, Total Atoms: 12
  • Mass of MgCl₂: 94 amu
  • Mass of NaBr: 103 amu
  • Mass of H₂O: 18 amu

What It Means for an Equation to Be Balanced

A balanced chemical equation means that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. This reflects the Law of Conservation of Mass, indicating that matter is neither created nor destroyed during the reaction.

The image is a model of sulfuric acid that has a chemical formula of H SO . In 1-2 sentences, explain
why creating models, like the one shown in the image above, is important in understanding
substances.

Creating models of substances, like sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), is important because they visually represent the arrangement of atoms within a molecule, helping to illustrate its structure and properties. These models enhance comprehension of chemical bonding, molecular geometry, and how different substances interact in chemical reactions.

The image is a model of sulfuric acid that has a chemical formula of H2SO4 . In 1-2 sentences, explain
why creating models, like the one shown in the image above, is important in understanding
substances.

Creating models of substances like sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) is important because they provide a tangible visualization of the molecule's structure, helping to convey information about atom connectivity and spatial arrangement. This understanding is crucial for predicting the chemical behavior and reactivity of substances in various reactions.

2Cu+S>Cu2S

Copper (Cu) reacts with sulfur (S) to form copper sulfide as shown in the equation. A scientist adds
12.7 grams of Cu to 3.2 grams of S to start the reaction. In this reaction, all of the copper and all of the
sulfur react. Before running the experiment, the scientist expected the products of the reaction will be
a total of 15.9 grams of copper sulfide (Cu2S). In 1–2 sentences, explain the law that the scientist
used to predict that the product of the reaction would be 15.9 grams of copper sulfide.

The scientist used the Law of Conservation of Mass to predict that the total mass of the products would be 15.9 grams of copper sulfide (Cu₂S). This law states that in a chemical reaction, the total mass of the reactants must equal the total mass of the products, meaning that the combined mass of the initial 12.7 grams of copper and 3.2 grams of sulfur would equal the mass of the resulting product.