1)After burning, the mass of the ash is lighter than the mass of the wood.
2)After burning, the mass of the product, magnesium oxide is heavier than the mass of the magnesium ribbon. ( Burns the ribbon)
3) In a chemical reaction, the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products.
​
So let see, in 3) this is because the atoms reactants and products must be the same. Then why in 2)
the mass of the product is heavier than the mass of the reactants ( ribbon)?
Shouldn’t it be the same?
And according to 3) then the mass of the wood in 1) should also be the same how come it is different? I know the mass of ash is of course lighter than wood, but if you combine all the ash together wouldn’t it be the same? Please explain 1) 2) 3) to me why it is different I don’t get it. Thank you.
Edit: I understand it now my stupid ignorant 14-year-old brain didn’t think of the external factors which caused the mass of the ash to be lighter.
In: Physics
You’re forgetting the things that are added or removed from the “final product”.
> After burning, the mass of the ash is lighter than the mass of the wood.
Because a chunk of carbon has reacted with oxygen to form CO2 gas that floats away, in addition to water vapor, soot, or other smoke particles that no longer exist in the ash.
> After burning, the mass of the product, magnesium oxide is heavier than the mass of the magnesium ribbon
You’ve added oxygen. That’s what “Oxide” means, you take magnesium, add oxygen, and form magnesium oxide. The added oxygen is what you’re registering as heavier.
> In a chemical reaction, the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products.
Correct, but you must actually identify the reactants involved. All of them. Not just the ones that are solid and you can see.
Latest Answers