Explain how the conservation of energy and the conservation of matter might still be considered true when put together in spite of the ability of each to convert into the other. (2 points)

Answer 1

The conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another. Similarly, the conservation of matter states that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only rearranged into different forms. When these two principles are put together, it can be seen that the total amount of energy and matter in a closed system remains constant, even though they can be converted into each other.

For example, when matter is converted into energy through a process such as nuclear fusion, the total amount of matter and energy in the system remains constant. Likewise, when energy is used to create matter through processes like particle accelerators, the total amount of energy and matter in the system is still conserved. Therefore, even though energy and matter can be interconverted, the total amount of both remains constant in a closed system, supporting the principles of conservation of energy and conservation of matter.