Does the Earth have a finite number of molecoles? if so, does stuff like trash and plastic take away from food and water on a molecular level?

Question

Is it true that once we die our atoms cycle through the system through decomposition? Are we are drinking dinosaur pee? Where do new atoms come from if we don’t have a finite number of building blocks? I feel like im confusing a bunch of different sciences but can someone please explain?

In: 6

Answer 1

Yes, other than nuclear reactors or stars or some other situations, matter is conserved. It is not created or destroyed. There is a finite number of atoms in the Earth. It is an insanely mind bogglingly large number of atoms, but it is limited. And yes, decomposition recycles atoms into new material. We eat plants and burn the carbohydrates and excrete CO2 and H2O. The take in the CO2 and the H2O and use sunlight to turn it back into the carbohydrates we burn. Similar cycles exist for various other substances like the nitrogen cycle.