Law of Conservation of Mass Problems

Example 1: If heating 12.0 grams of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) produces 6.4 g of carbon dioxide (CO2) and 5.6 g of calcium oxide (CaO), show that these observations are in agreement with the law of conservation of mass.

Solution:

We know that,

Mass of the reactants = Mass of the products

12.0g of CaCO3 = 6.4g of CO2 + 5.6g of CaO

12.0g of reactant = 12.0g of products

Because the mass of the reactant is equal to the mass of the products, the observations are in agreement with the law of conservation of mass.

Example 2: Sodium carbonate reacts with ethanoic acid to form sodium ethanoate, carbon dioxide, and water. In an experiment, 5.3g of Sodium carbonate reacted with 6g of ethanoic acid to form 8.2g of sodium ethanoate, 2.2g of carbon dioxide, and 0.9g of water. Show that this data verifies the law of conservation of mass. 

Solution:

We know, 

Sodium Carbonate + Ethanoic Acid = Sodium Ethanoate + Carbon Dioxide + Water. 

Substituting the masses of the compounds we have, 

5.3g + 6g = 8.2g + 2.2g + 0.9g = 11.3g  

Hence, the conservation of mass is verified. 

Example 3: What happens when 4.2 g of KClO3 is heated to give 1.92 g of Oxygen and 2.96 g of KCl as the product? How this reaction follows the Law of Conservation of Mass?

Answer:

The reaction for the given case is given as,

KClO3    ⇢    KCl    +    3/2 O2

Here, the total mass involved from the reactant side is equal to 4.2 g.

And the total mass involved from the product side is equal to 1.92 g + 2.96 g = 4.98 g.

Hence, the mass of the reactant < mass of the products involved in the reaction.

Thus, the given case doesn’t follow Law of Conservation of Mass.

Important Physics Related Links:

Law of Conservation of Mass

Law of Conservation of Mass: The law of conservation of mass states that the mass can neither be created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. This implies, in a closed system the mass of the elements involved initially in a chemical reaction is equal to the mass of the product obtained by the reaction.

Hence, for any type of chemical reaction, the total mass of the reactants and the products involved is conserved. This concept of mass conservation is widely used in chemistry and other fields like mechanics, dynamics, etc. 

In this article, we will about the Law of Conservation of Mass, its Definition, Formula, Examples, and Solved Examples and FAQs.

Table of Content

  • What is the Law of Conservation of Mass?
    • Law of Conservation of Mass
  • Formula of Law of Conservation of Mass
  • When Matter Undergoes a Physical Change?
    • When Matter Undergoes a Chemical Change
  • Examples on Law of Conservation of Mass
    • Formation of Water
  • Formation of Carbon Dioxide 
  • Limitation of Law of Conservation of Mass
  • Law of Conservation of Mass Class 9
  • Law of Conservation of Mass Examples

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