Cecily Zamora
The law of conservation of mass states that mass within a closed system remains the same over time. In other words, mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. This principle can be demonstrated through various experiments, such as comparing the mass of a glow stick before and after activation, or measuring the mass of a reaction in a closed system using baking soda and vinegar. Another experiment involves observing the synthesis of barium sulphate by combining barium chloride and sodium sulphate in aqueous solutions. These experiments validate the law of conservation of mass by comparing the masses of reactants and products, confirming that the total mass remains unchanged.
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What You'll Learn
Baking soda and vinegar in a closed system
The law of conservation of mass states that mass in a closed system will not change before and after a chemical reaction. To prove this law, an experiment can be conducted using baking soda and vinegar in a closed system.
The setup for this experiment involves using an empty, sealable plastic bag as the closed system. The bag is weighed first and the mass is recorded. Then, a set amount of baking soda is added to the bag, and the new mass is recorded. This process is repeated with a specific amount of vinegar. The total mass before the reaction is the sum of the masses of the individual components, that is, the bag, baking soda, and vinegar.
After the reaction, the bag and its contents are weighed again. If the law of conservation of mass holds, the mass of the bag and its contents after the reaction should be equal to the mass before the reaction. This is because mass isn't created or destroyed; it just moves places.
The chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide gas, which can be captured in a balloon. The expansion of the balloon increases the volume of the sealed flask, displacing more air and increasing the buoyant force on it. This reduces the weight of the flask, but the mass remains the same due to the law of conservation of mass.
The experiment can be varied by combining the chemicals while they are sealed inside a 2-liter bottle. This provides an additional engineering challenge to get the ingredients to mix after the bottle has been sealed.
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Steel wool burning
The law of conservation of mass states that mass in a closed system will not change before and after a chemical reaction. Mass isn't created or destroyed; it just moves places. This law can be demonstrated through an experiment involving steel wool burning.
The steel wool burning experiment is a two-part process. In the first part, students compare the mass of steel wool before and after pulling it apart. This is a shape change, not a chemical change, so it is relatively easy to get perfect data as long as the wool is pulled apart over a scale, allowing small fragments to fall off.
In the second part, students burn steel wool and compare the burned mass to the initial mass. The burning of steel wool leads to an increase in mass. This is because, as it burns, it combines with oxygen in the air to form iron oxide. The addition of oxygen atoms causes an increase in mass. This experiment is an excellent way to discuss chemical reactions and the conservation of mass with students.
Another simple experiment to demonstrate the law of conservation of mass involves using baking soda and vinegar in a closed system. The setup involves placing an empty, sealable plastic bag on a scale and recording its mass. Then, a set amount of baking soda is added to the bag, and the new mass is recorded. The process is repeated with a specific amount of vinegar. Before the reaction, the total mass of the bag and its contents is calculated. After the reaction, if the law of conservation of mass holds, the total mass should remain the same.
The steel wool burning experiment and the baking soda and vinegar experiment are effective ways to help students understand the law of conservation of mass and ignite their curiosity about the underlying scientific principles.
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Alka-Seltzer and water in a bag
The law of conservation of mass states that mass in a closed system will not change before and after a chemical reaction. Mass isn’t created or destroyed, it just moves places. This law can be demonstrated using an Alka-Seltzer and water experiment.
Firstly, acquire an empty, sealable plastic bag. This will serve as your closed system. Weigh the bag and record the mass. Then, carefully measure and record the mass of the water and the Alka-Seltzer tablet before placing them in the bag. Next, add a set amount of water to the bag. Weigh it again and record the new mass. Finally, add the Alka-Seltzer tablet to the bag and seal it. Observe and measure the reaction. Ensure no gas escapes to see that the total mass remains constant, supporting the conservation of mass.
After the reaction, open the bag, release the gas, and re-weigh. Students will see a decrease in mass and learn that gases (in this case, carbon dioxide) have mass. This experiment reflects that matter is neither created nor destroyed during chemical reactions.
This experiment can be adapted for older students by repeating it with different amounts of water or varying the temperature of the water to see if the conservation of mass holds true under different conditions.
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Barium chloride and sodium sulphate
The law of conservation of mass states that mass in a closed system will not change before and after a chemical reaction. Mass isn’t created or destroyed, it just moves places. One experiment to prove this law involves observing and measuring a reaction in a closed system using baking soda and vinegar.
An experiment involving the reaction between barium chloride and sodium sulphate can also be used to prove the law of conservation of mass. This reaction can be visualised as a precipitation reaction, where the insoluble salt separates out as a precipitate. The reactants involved in the reaction are barium chloride and sodium sulphate, whereas the products involved are barium sulphate and sodium chloride.
- Take 50 ml of distilled water in two 100 ml beakers.
- Pour 5 ml of sodium sulphate solution into one of the beakers.
- Pour 5 ml of barium chloride solution into a 10 ml test tube.
- Tie the test tube using a thread and hang it carefully inside the beaker containing the sodium sulphate solution so that the solutions do not mix.
- Put a cork in the mouth of the beaker so that the thread holding the test tube is held firmly in place.
- Weigh the beaker on a weighing balance and note the reading.
- Tilt and swirl the beaker so that the solutions mix, forming a white precipitate.
- Weigh the beaker again and note the new reading.
The mass of the reactants (barium chloride and sodium sulphate) should be equal to the mass of the products (barium sulphate and sodium chloride). If this is the case, the experiment proves the law of conservation of mass.
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Glow sticks
The law of conservation of mass states that mass within a closed system remains the same over time. In other words, mass cannot be created or destroyed, only moved from one place to another. This law can be difficult to demonstrate in practice, as it is hard to obtain perfect data.
This experiment can be used to teach students about the law of conservation of mass from as early as 5th grade. Glow sticks are a suitable choice for this experiment because they are easy to use, and can be purchased cheaply from Amazon, dollar stores, or after Halloween when they are often discounted.
The law of conservation of mass was formulated by French chemist Antoine Lavoisier. Lavoisier conducted an experiment in which he placed a burning candle inside a sealed glass jar. As the candle burned down and melted, the weight of the jar and its contents remained the same. This proved his theory that mass is conserved in a chemical reaction, as the weight of the system did not change.
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Frequently asked questions
The law of conservation of mass states that mass within a closed system remains the same over time. Mass is neither created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed from one form to another.
One simple experiment involves using a sealable plastic bag, baking soda, and vinegar. First, weigh the empty bag. Then, add a set amount of baking soda and weigh it again. Finally, add a specific amount of vinegar and record the new mass. This closed system ensures that any changes are governed by the Law of Conservation of Mass.
There are various other experiments that can be conducted, such as using glow sticks, Alka-Seltzer and water in a bag, steel wool, or Barium Chloride and Sodium Sulphate in a beaker. These experiments involve comparing the mass before and after a reaction or change.
These experiments are based on the principle that the total mass of the reactants before a reaction should equal the total mass of the products after the reaction. This proves the Law of Conservation of Mass.
Yes, one challenge is the accuracy of measurements. Small changes in mass during chemical reactions can be difficult to detect with standard weighing devices. Additionally, some experiments may involve gas escape, which can affect the accuracy of the results.
