Question

You have a chemical sealed in a glass container filled with air. the glass container has a mass of 200.0 grams and the chemical has a mass of 750 grams. the total mass of the setup is 950 grams. the chemical is ignited by means of a magnifying glass focusing sunlight onto the reactant. after the chemical has completely burned, what is the total mass of the setup?

Answer 1

After the chemical reaction, the total mass of the sealed glass container setup will still be 950 grams due to the law of conservation of mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question involves understanding the law of conservation of mass in a chemical reaction. When the chemical in the glass container is ignited and reacts completely, the total mass of the setup will remain the same, which is 950 grams. No matter is lost during the chemical reaction. The mass of the container plus any gaseous substance that may have been produced by the burning chemical, such as carbon dioxide, is accounted for within the sealed system. This means that even if gases are produced, they are still within the container, and thus their mass is included in the total mass of the setup post-reaction.

Answer 2

After the chemical has completely burned, the total mass of the set up remains being the same than before: 950g.

The mass is conserved during chemical reactions; this is, the mass of the reactants is equal to the mass of the products, so there is not change in mass, and you can conclude quickly that the mass of the set up at the end is 950, the same of starting.