What is the concept of mass conservation and its implications for human life?

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The discussion centers on the concept of mass conservation, emphasizing that mass cannot be created or destroyed, which relates to human life in the cycle of birth, growth, and death. It highlights that while mass is conserved, energy is the primary conserved quantity in physical processes, with mass being a form of energy. The conversation touches on the idea that human bodies undergo constant recycling of mass after death, aligning with the phrase "ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Participants seek clarity on the connections between mass conservation and human existence, but the discussion warns against speculative conjecture. Overall, the implications of mass conservation suggest a natural cycle that reflects the interconnectedness of life and the environment.
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If the theory goes, Mass can not be created nor destoryed, what does this mean about human life?
 
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Not much ... ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and if you add it all up you will get the same mass before and after.
 
please explain more in detail
thank you!
 
bradleyb5155 said:
please explain more in detail
thank you!

Maybe if you could say a bit more about the connections that you're thinking of between human life and the conservation of mass? It's not at all clear what you're asking.
 
bradleyb5155 said:
please explain more in detail.
Why don't *you* explain in more detail what you meant by your opening post.

Before you go further, a few points.
  • It's energy, not mass, that is conserved. The fundamental concept that underlies atomic bombs and nuclear power is that mass is a form of energy. Mass can be converted to some other form of energy, and quite a bit of energy.
  • However, the change in mass in a typical chemical reaction is negligibly small. You can pretty much ignore that mass is not a conserved quantity. Let's take it as a given that mass is conserved.
  • We are born small, eat and drink (a lot!), go to the bathroom (a lot!), and grow, but eventually we all die. Nature recycles our mass. That's what Simon meant by "ashes to ashes, dust to dust".

  • One last point. This site is not the place for speculative conjecture. Just don't go there.
 
So I know that electrons are fundamental, there's no 'material' that makes them up, it's like talking about a colour itself rather than a car or a flower. Now protons and neutrons and quarks and whatever other stuff is there fundamentally, I want someone to kind of teach me these, I have a lot of questions that books might not give the answer in the way I understand. Thanks
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