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pixel01
Aug20-08, 12:39 PM
Does mass of compounds change due to exothermic/endothermic chemical reactions?

malawi_glenn
Aug20-08, 02:34 PM
This is not the chemistry sub-forum *hint* ;-)

mathman
Aug20-08, 04:48 PM
Does mass of compounds change due to exothermic/endothermic chemical reactions?

Yes but. The difference in mass is undetectable by almost all instruments.

pixel01
Aug21-08, 04:00 AM
This is not the chemistry sub-forum *hint* ;-)

Chemically, the answer is definitely NOT, that's why I ask here.

malawi_glenn
Aug21-08, 04:42 AM
Well chemistry processes are that the electrons are chaning orbits, so that their binding energy is released or increased -> which influences the mass of the system under consideration. It is the EM- force analogy with fusion and fission in Nuclear physics.

But the binding energies of electrons in atoms and molecules are of the order eV (!) so it is very tiny mass defect, just as mathman said.
The binding energies in nuclei are of the order MeV, so there the consequenses are bigger.