Which term describes a process that conserves mass during changes?

Which term describes a process that conserves mass during changes?

• A. Law of Gravity
• B. Law of Conservation of Mass
• C. Law of Conservation of Energy
• D. Law of Conservation of Charge

Answer: (B)

Conservation of mass means matter can change form or rearrange, but the total amount of mass stays the same in a closed system. In chemical reactions and physical changes, atoms are just reorganized—no atoms disappear or appear out of nowhere. That’s why the total mass before a process equals the total mass after. This idea is captured by the Law of Conservation of Mass, which says the mass of the substances you start with must balance the mass of the substances you end with when nothing escapes the system. For example, melting ice, dissolving sugar in water, or burning a piece of wood in a sealed container all illustrate that the overall mass remains constant.

Conservation of mass means matter can change form or rearrange, but the total amount of mass stays the same in a closed system. In chemical reactions and physical changes, atoms are just reorganized—no atoms disappear or appear out of nowhere. That’s why the total mass before a process equals the total mass after. This idea is captured by the Law of Conservation of Mass, which says the mass of the substances you start with must balance the mass of the substances you end with when nothing escapes the system. For example, melting ice, dissolving sugar in water, or burning a piece of wood in a sealed container all illustrate that the overall mass remains constant.