If the same amount of matter exists before and after changing, then is Earth like a closed ecosystem? Does is it contain a specific amount of matter until an outside source adds more matter into it?

Question

If the same amount of matter exists before and after changing, then is Earth like a closed ecosystem? Does is it contain a specific amount of matter until an outside source adds more matter into it?

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Answer 1

Earth is not 100% closed. We gather material from space (both asteroids and dust) as well as losing some material to space (mostly gas in the high athmosphere being pushed away by solar winds)

Also since matter can be created from energy and vice versa a small amount of matter is lost in nuclear decay processes.

But overall yeah, those are tiny amounts compared to the size of earth. For the most part you can assume the amount of matter on earth stays pretty constant.