The law of conservation of mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. This means that the total mass of the reactants in a chemical reaction must equal the total mass of the products.
One way to demonstrate the law of conservation of mass is to conduct a simple chemical reaction in which a solid reactant is transformed into a gas product. For example, you can heat a piece of zinc metal in a test tube and observe the production of zinc oxide gas.
To set up the activity, you will need:
A piece of zinc metal
A test tube
A test tube holder
A bunsen burner
A tripod and wire gauze
Here's how to conduct the activity:
Set up the bunsen burner and place the test tube holder on the tripod.
Place the piece of zinc metal in the test tube.
Place the test tube in the test tube holder.
Light the bunsen burner and adjust the flame so that it is not too hot.
Hold the test tube over the flame until the zinc metal begins to react and produce gas.
Observe the gas being produced and note any changes in the appearance of the zinc metal.
As the zinc metal reacts with the oxygen in the air, it will produce zinc oxide gas. You should see the mass of the zinc metal decrease as it is transformed into gas. However, the total mass of the reactants (zinc metal and oxygen) will be equal to the total mass of the products (zinc oxide gas).
This activity demonstrates the law of conservation of mass, as the total mass of the reactants and products remains constant.