18. Describe an example where an open system might result in conclusions that go against the Law of Conservation of Mass. (2 pts) *
Please do not use this answer on your MICA test.
One example where an open system might result in conclusions that go against the Law of Conservation of Mass is the burning of a candle.
To understand how this happens, let's first consider the Law of Conservation of Mass. According to this law, the mass of a closed system remains constant over time, regardless of any physical or chemical changes that occur within the system. In other words, the total mass of all substances involved in a chemical reaction before the reaction is equal to the total mass after the reaction.
Now, let's examine the burning of a candle in an open system. When a candle burns, it undergoes a chemical reaction called combustion. The heat from the flame melts the wax, which is drawn up the wick and vaporizes due to the heat. This vaporized wax reacts with oxygen in the air, producing energy in the form of heat, light, and carbon dioxide.
In this process, the wax is converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) gas and water vapor (H2O). Both of these products are released into the surrounding environment as gases. Since the system is open, there is a potential for mass loss. This is because the carbon dioxide and water vapor produced during the combustion escape into the atmosphere, and their mass is not contained within the system being observed.
As a result, if we were to measure the mass of the candle and its byproducts before and after the combustion process, we might find that the mass after the process is slightly less than the mass before. This outcome seemingly contradicts the Law of Conservation of Mass. However, this appearance of mass loss is due to the fact that the system is open and some mass is escaping into the environment.
It's essential to remember that the Law of Conservation of Mass still holds true if we consider the entire system, including the gases released into the atmosphere. When we consider the overall mass of the system, including the candle, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other substances, we would find that the mass is conserved.
To sum up, the burning of a candle in an open system may create an appearance of going against the Law of Conservation of Mass because the byproducts, carbon dioxide and water vapor, are released into the environment. However, if we consider the total mass of the entire system, including the candle and the gases, the Law of Conservation of Mass is still valid.