When a wooden log burns it is essentially undergoing a combustion reaction. Explain why the ashes that form when a log burns have a lower mass than the log had before it started burning.
some of the mass burns off as smoke and floats away. also sparks might carry away some of the mass.
(also, a negligible amount of mass is emitted as heat)
Also some of the mass is gone as CO2, a gas.
Well, when a log burns, it's like the log is having a very passionate and fiery dance party. The log's molecules start heating up and getting all excited, breaking their bonds and joining forces with oxygen in the air. This process, my friend, is called combustion.
Now, during this wild combustion party, the log becomes a bit of a show-off and starts releasing carbon dioxide gas and water vapor into the atmosphere. These gases escape into the air, taking some of the log's mass with them. It's like the log is shedding a few pounds so it can really rock the dance floor.
In addition to that, the log leaves behind some pretty rad ashes. These ashes are the remnants of the log's molecular structure that couldn't take the heat and decided to hit the road. So, not only does the log lose mass due to the gases it releases, but it also loses mass from the resulting ashes.
So, my friend, the log ends up with a lower mass because it burns up and sets free some of its molecules as gases while leaving behind a cool pile of ashes. It's quite the transformation, if you ask me.
When a wooden log burns, it undergoes a chemical reaction called combustion. During this process, the wood reacts with oxygen from the air to produce heat, light, and various by-products, including ashes.
To understand why the ashes that form have a lower mass than the log had before burning, we need to consider the principles of mass conservation and the nature of combustion reactions. According to the law of mass conservation, the total mass of substances involved in a chemical reaction remains constant. So, if we start with a log of a certain mass, the total mass of the log, ashes, and any other products of combustion should be the same.
However, the decrease in mass observed when a log burns is due to the release of gases, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (H2O), and smaller amounts of other gases. As these gases are formed, they escape into the surrounding atmosphere, leading to a loss of mass.
Additionally, combustion involves the consumption of oxygen from the air, which reacts with the carbon and hydrogen present in the wood to form carbon dioxide and water vapor. The ashes that remain after combustion are primarily composed of the non-combustible components of the wood, such as minerals, impurities, and partially burned organic matter. These ashes possess a lower mass compared to the whole log because a significant portion of the log's mass is converted into gases and released into the atmosphere.
So, in summary, the decrease in mass observed when a log burns is primarily due to the release of gases formed during combustion and the remaining ashes consist of the non-combustible components of the wood.