
Chemistry is a part of our everyday lives, from the air we breathe to the food we eat. To help us understand the world around us, chemists have observed nature and laid down laws of chemistry that form the foundation for understanding the chemistry of our universe. These laws explain the fundamental principles that govern the interactions of atoms and molecules, leading to a wide range of chemical reactions and compounds. One of the most fundamental concepts in chemistry is the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that there is no detectable change in the quantity of matter during a typical chemical reaction. This law, formulated by Antoine Lavoisier, asserts that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only rearranged. This leads to the important concepts of equilibrium, thermodynamics, and kinetics. Other significant laws include the Law of Definite Proportions, which states that elements in a given compound are always combined in the same proportion by mass, and the Law of Multiple Proportions, which describes how elements combine in specific ratios. These laws, along with others such as Avogadro's Law, Boyle's Law, and the Laws of Thermodynamics, provide a framework for understanding and predicting chemical behaviour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First Law of Thermodynamics | Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only converted from one form to another. |
| Second Law of Thermodynamics | Any spontaneously occurring process will always lead to an increase in the entropy of the universe. |
| Third Law of Thermodynamics | The entropy of a perfect crystal at absolute zero is equal to zero. |
| Faraday's Law | Any change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will induce a voltage in the coil. |
| Law of Conservation of Mass | The total mass before and after a chemical reaction is the same. |
| Law of Conservation of Energy | Energy cannot be created or destroyed. |
| Law of Definite Proportions | Elements in a compound are always combined in the same proportion by mass. |
| Law of Multiple Proportions | Elements combine in the ratio of small whole numbers. |
| Gay-Lussac's Law | Gases combine in simple ratios by volume when at the same temperature and pressure. |
| Avogadro's Law | Equal volumes of gases contain equal numbers of particles at the same temperature and pressure. |
| Boyle's Law | The volume of a gas decreases as pressure increases at a constant temperature. |
| Charles' Law | The volume of a confined gas is directly proportional to the absolute temperature at constant pressure. |
| Graham's Law | The rate of diffusion of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molecular mass. |
| Henry's Law | The solubility of a gas is directly proportional to the pressure applied to it. |
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What You'll Learn
- Conservation of energy: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted
- Conservation of mass: Mass remains constant in a chemical reaction
- Law of definite proportions: Elements combine in the same proportion by mass
- Law of multiple proportions: Elements combine in ratios of small whole numbers
- Faraday's law: Voltage is induced in a coil of wire by a change in its magnetic environment

Conservation of energy: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted
The law of conservation of energy is a fundamental principle in chemistry, stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. This law, also known as the first law of thermodynamics, was discovered by Julius Robert Mayer and is applicable to various scenarios, from chemical reactions to the expansion of the universe.
This law is based on the concept that the total energy within a closed system remains constant. While the energy within the system can change forms, the overall amount of energy is conserved. For example, when a stick of dynamite explodes, chemical energy is converted into kinetic energy, along with other forms such as potential energy, heat, and sound. By measuring the decrease in chemical energy, one can account for the exact amount of energy released in the explosion across all its different forms.
The conservation of energy is intimately connected to the conservation of mass, as demonstrated by Einstein's theory of special relativity. This theory established that mass and energy are interchangeable, with mass corresponding to an equivalent amount of rest energy. For instance, in nuclear reactions like fusion and fission, a small portion of mass can be converted into a significant amount of energy. This relationship between mass and energy has profound implications, particularly in the field of nuclear chemistry.
The idea that energy cannot be created or destroyed has deep roots, with ancient Greek philosophy espousing the notion of "nothing comes from nothing." Over time, scientists such as Galileo, Christiaan Huygens, Karl Friedrich Mohr, and Antoine Lavoisier made significant contributions to the development of the law of conservation of energy. Their work laid the foundation for our modern understanding of energy conservation and its applications in various fields, including chemistry.
In conclusion, the law of conservation of energy, stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted, is a fundamental concept in chemistry and physics. It has been refined and supported by numerous scientific discoveries, shaping our understanding of the natural world and providing a basis for further exploration and innovation.
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Conservation of mass: Mass remains constant in a chemical reaction
The law of conservation of mass is often referred to as the most fundamental concept in chemistry. It states that there is no detectable change in the quantity of matter during a chemical reaction. In other words, the mass of the reactants (starting materials) is equal to the mass of the products. This means that mass remains constant in a chemical reaction.
The principle of conservation of mass was widely used by the 18th century and was an important assumption during experiments. However, an expression of the law can be dated back to the time of Hero of Alexandria and was discussed by Mikhail Lomonosov in 1756. The law was formulated by Antoine Lavoisier in the late 18th century as a result of his combustion experiment. In this experiment, Lavoisier observed that the mass of his original substance (a glass vessel, tin, and air) was equal to the mass of the produced substance (the glass vessel, "tin calx", and the remaining air).
The idea of mass conservation, along with the understanding that certain "elemental substances" could not be transformed into others by chemical reactions, led to the development of chemical elements and the concept that all chemical processes are reactions between invariant amounts of these elements. This concept is widely used in many fields, including chemistry, mechanics, and fluid dynamics.
The calculation of the amount of reactant and products in a chemical reaction, or stoichiometry, is founded on the principle of conservation of mass. For example, in the reaction where methane (CH4) and oxygen (O2) are converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O), the number of molecules produced can be derived from the principle of conservation of mass.
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Law of definite proportions: Elements combine in the same proportion by mass
The Law of Definite Proportions, also known as Proust's Law or the Law of Constant Composition, is a fundamental concept in chemistry. It states that a given chemical compound will always contain its constituent elements in a fixed ratio by mass. In other words, elements combine in the same proportion by mass to form a compound. This law was first proposed by Joseph Proust in 1797 and contributed to the development of atomic theory by John Dalton in 1805.
An example of the Law of Definite Proportions in action is the composition of water molecules. Regardless of the source or method of preparation, water always contains 8/9 of its mass as oxygen and 1/9 as hydrogen. This means that the mass ratio of hydrogen to oxygen in water is always the same, even if the total mass of the water sample varies. For instance, a larger sample of water will contain more hydrogen and oxygen atoms, but the proportion of hydrogen to oxygen atoms remains constant.
The Law of Definite Proportions also applies to other compounds, such as carbon dioxide. This gas is produced from various reactions, often by the burning of materials. The structure of carbon dioxide consists of one atom of carbon and two atoms of oxygen. The law ensures that the ratio of carbon to oxygen atoms in carbon dioxide remains constant, regardless of the reaction that produced it.
While the Law of Definite Proportions is a useful foundation for modern chemistry, it is not universally true. There are exceptions, known as non-stoichiometric compounds, where the elemental composition can vary from sample to sample. For example, the iron oxide wüstite can contain between 0.83 and 0.95 iron atoms for every oxygen atom, resulting in a variable oxygen content of 23% to 25% by mass.
The discovery of the Law of Definite Proportions was preceded by the Law of Conservation of Mass, formulated by Antoine Lavoisier in the 1700s. This law states that there is no detectable change in the quantity of matter during a typical chemical reaction, meaning that mass is conserved. This was an important precursor to the Law of Definite Proportions, as it established that mass remains constant even as atoms are rearranged into new products during chemical reactions.
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Law of multiple proportions: Elements combine in ratios of small whole numbers
The Law of Multiple Proportions, also known as Dalton's Law, states that when two elements combine to form more than one compound, the weights of one element that combine with a fixed weight of the other are in a ratio of small whole numbers. In other words, elements combine with each other in multiples of a basic quantity. This law was first expressed by John Dalton in 1803, and it is one of the three laws of chemical combination that his theory explained.
Dalton's discovery of this pattern led to the development of the modern theory of atoms. This is because the law suggested that elements combine in ratios of small whole numbers, which indicated that they were combining in multiples of a basic quantity. This provided strong support for Dalton's theory that matter consists of indivisible atoms.
The Law of Multiple Proportions is best illustrated through examples. For instance, Dalton identified two types of tin oxide. One is a grey powder ("the protoxide of tin") that is 88.1% tin and 11.9% oxygen, and the other is a white powder ("the deutoxide of tin") that is 78.7% tin and 21.3% oxygen. Adjusting these figures, the grey powder has about 13.5 g of oxygen for every 100 g of tin, and the white powder has about 27 g of oxygen for every 100 g of tin. These figures form a ratio of 1:2.
Another example is nitrogen oxides. There are five distinct oxides of nitrogen, and the weights of oxygen in combination with 14 grams of nitrogen are 8, 16, 24, 32, and 40 grams, or a ratio of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
The Law of Multiple Proportions often does not apply when comparing very large molecules. For instance, it would not hold when comparing the hydrocarbons decane (C10H22) and undecane (C11H24).
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Faraday's law: Voltage is induced in a coil of wire by a change in its magnetic environment
Faraday's law, also known as Faraday's law of induction, is a fundamental principle in the field of electromagnetism. It explains the relationship between a magnetic field and an electric circuit, specifically how they interact to generate an electromotive force (EMF). This phenomenon, called electromagnetic induction, is the operating principle behind various devices such as transformers, inductors, and electric motors.
Faraday's law states that a change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will induce a voltage, or EMF, in the coil. This means that a voltage is generated in response to a change in the magnetic field passing through the coil. The magnitude of the induced voltage is proportional to the rate of change of the magnetic field. This principle is described by the equation:
${\displaystyle {\mathcal {E}}=-N{\frac {\mathrm {d} \Phi _{B}}{\mathrm {d} t}}}\co: 13}$
Where:
- ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {E}}}\co: 13>$ represents the induced voltage (EMF)
- N is the number of turns of wire in the coil
- ${\displaystyle {\frac {\mathrm {d} \Phi _{B}}{\mathrm {d} t}}}\co: 13,14>$ represents the rate of change of magnetic flux with time
Faraday's experimental apparatus demonstrated this principle. It consisted of two coils, a top one and a bottom one. When the magnetic field produced by the top coil changed, an EMF was induced in the bottom coil, resulting in the flow of current. This current was detected by a galvanometer, which registered the direction of the current depending on whether the magnetic field was increasing or decreasing.
Faraday's law has been further elaborated by the Maxwell-Faraday equation, which is one of Maxwell's equations in electromagnetism. The Maxwell-Faraday equation describes the relationship between time-varying magnetic fields and the associated electric fields. It shows that a time-varying magnetic field is accompanied by a spatially varying electric field and vice versa. This equation provides a more detailed understanding of the electromagnetic phenomena underlying Faraday's law.
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