Sasha does an experiment that involves burning an 8 gram strip of magnesium metal in an open flame. After the experiment Sasha measured 5.5 grams of white ash left over after burning the strip of metal. Does this experiment show the law of conservation of matter? (1 point)
Responses
A. yes, because the missing mass was released as smoke
B. yes, because the missing mass was trapped by the closed system
C. no, because mass measured after the experiment decreased
D. no, because the magnesium was burned so mass was not lost
B. yes, because the missing mass was trapped by the closed system
The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. In this experiment, the missing mass of the magnesium strip was transformed into the white ash left over after burning. Therefore, the experiment does show the law of conservation of matter.