What is the effect of a chemical change on the mass of matter?
When a chemical change occurs, the mass of matter can either stay the same or change. It depends on the specific chemical reaction and the conservation of mass, which states that the total mass of the reactants (substances before the reaction) is equal to the total mass of the products (substances after the reaction).
To determine the effect of a chemical change on the mass of matter, you need to compare the total mass of the reactants to the total mass of the products. You can calculate this by adding up the individual masses of all the substances involved.
If the total mass of the reactants is equal to the total mass of the products, the mass remains unchanged. This means that the reactants are conserved, and the chemical change is considered a "conservation of mass" reaction. An example of this type of reaction is the burning of a candle where the wax is converted into carbon dioxide and water vapor.
On the other hand, if the total mass of the reactants is different from the total mass of the products, then the mass of matter has changed. This indicates that there has been a gain or loss of mass during the chemical reaction. An example of this type of reaction is the rusting of iron, where iron combines with oxygen from the air and forms iron oxide.
In summary, the effect of a chemical change on the mass of matter can vary. It can either remain the same (conservation of mass) or change due to a gain or loss of mass. The key is to compare the total mass of the reactants to the total mass of the products to determine if there has been a change.