Are Exothermic Reactions a Violation of the Law of Conservation of Mass?

In summary, exothermic reactions do not violate the law of conservation of mass because the small energy gain or loss in chemical reactions is negligible compared to the total mass of the reactants. However, in nuclear reactions, the mass deficit becomes evident and it is total energy that is conserved.
  • #1
Nikhil faraday
23
0
Are exothermic reactions violation of law of conservation of mass , because energy and mass are equivalent? Please clarify!
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org
  • #2
Conservation of mass is a rule of thumb, not a fundamental law. It works because the energy gain or loss in chemical reactions is very small compared with the total mass of the reactants. The mass deficit gets obvious in nuclear reactions. It is total energy that gets conserved.

[edit]Note: the mass-energy gain or loss in chemical reactions is very small (order parts per billion) compared with the electro-magnetic energy energy change from just rearranging the atoms.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
Simon Bridge said:
Conservation of mass is a rule of thumb, not a fundamental law. It works because the energy gain or loss in chemical reactions is very small compared with the total mass of the reactants. The mass deficit gets obvious in nuclear reactions. It is total energy that gets conserved.
Thanks
 

Related to Are Exothermic Reactions a Violation of the Law of Conservation of Mass?

What is the Law of Conservation of Mass?

The Law of Conservation of Mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change forms. This means that in a closed system, the total mass of the substances before a chemical reaction must equal the total mass of the substances after the reaction.

Why is the Law of Conservation of Mass important?

The Law of Conservation of Mass is important because it is a fundamental principle of chemistry. It helps us understand and predict the outcomes of chemical reactions and is essential for balancing chemical equations.

How is the Law of Conservation of Mass related to the Law of Conservation of Energy?

The Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Conservation of Energy are closely related as they both state that in a closed system, the total amount of a certain quantity (mass or energy) remains constant. This means that mass can be converted into energy and vice versa, but the total amount of both remains the same.

Is the Law of Conservation of Mass always true?

Yes, the Law of Conservation of Mass is always true in a closed system. However, in some cases where nuclear reactions occur, a small amount of mass may be converted into energy, according to Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2. But in everyday chemical reactions, the Law of Conservation of Mass is always applicable.

How is the Law of Conservation of Mass used in practical applications?

The Law of Conservation of Mass is used in many practical applications, such as in waste management and recycling processes. It is also used in industries to ensure that chemical reactions are efficient and do not result in any loss of mass. Additionally, it is used in environmental science to track the movement and transformation of substances in ecosystems.

Similar threads

Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
8
Views
5K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
16
Views
626
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
33
Views
656
Replies
6
Views
755
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
819
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
256
Back
Top