Review the details regarding an experiment. Jason intends to conduct an experiment demonstrating the conservation of mass by burning steel wool, which primarily consists of iron. During the combustion process, the iron in the steel wool reacts with oxygen to produce iron(III) oxide. Which phase of his experiment holds the utmost significance for accurately showcasing the conservation of mass?

Question

A. The steel wool must undergo combustion within an airtight container or another enclosed system.
B. The steel wool should undergo combustion for an extended duration, preferably lasting a minimum of two hours.
C. The steel wool should be completely combusted to ensure that no iron remains in its initial form.
D. The steel wool should be ignited in an environment with ambient temperature, typically ranging from 20 to 25°C.

Answer 1

The phase of Jason's experiment that holds the utmost significance for accurately showcasing the conservation of mass is:

A. The steel wool must undergo combustion within an airtight container or another enclosed system.

This choice is crucial because burning steel wool in an airtight container ensures that all the products of the reaction (in this case, iron(III) oxide) and any unreacted oxygen are contained within the system. This setup allows for precise measurement of the mass before and after combustion, demonstrating that mass is conserved in a closed system despite the physical and chemical changes occurring during the reaction. Options B, C, and D, while they might contribute to the quality of the experiment, do not directly address the essential concept of conservation of mass in an isolated system.