Question
Sasha does an experiment that involves burning an 8 gram strip of magnesium metal in an open flame. After the experiment Sasha measured 5.5 grams of white ash left after burning the strip of metal. Does this experiment show the law of conservation of matter? (Yes, because the missing mass was released as smoke; yes, because the missing mass was trapped by the closed system; no, because mass measured after the experiment decreased; no, because the magnesium was burned so mass was not lost)
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The experiment described does indeed demonstrate the law of conservation of matter. According to this law, matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction; it can only change form.
In Sasha's experiment, she started with 8 grams of magnesium before burning it. After burning, she measured 5.5 grams of white ash. This indicates that there was a change in mass, but it doesn't imply that mass has been lost. The missing mass (2.5 grams) was likely released in the form of gases (such as magnesium oxide, which forms as the magnesium reacts with oxygen) and possibly other byproducts of combustion like smoke.
Therefore, the correct conclusion is: **"Yes, because the missing mass was released as smoke."** This response recognizes that while the mass was not accounted for in the solid form after the reaction, it still exists in another form, adhering to the law of conservation of matter.
In Sasha's experiment, she started with 8 grams of magnesium before burning it. After burning, she measured 5.5 grams of white ash. This indicates that there was a change in mass, but it doesn't imply that mass has been lost. The missing mass (2.5 grams) was likely released in the form of gases (such as magnesium oxide, which forms as the magnesium reacts with oxygen) and possibly other byproducts of combustion like smoke.
Therefore, the correct conclusion is: **"Yes, because the missing mass was released as smoke."** This response recognizes that while the mass was not accounted for in the solid form after the reaction, it still exists in another form, adhering to the law of conservation of matter.