Final answer:
The Law of Conservation of Mass does apply to the burning of wood in a campfire, as matter is not destroyed but only changes form. The masses of the reactants and products will be equal when accounted for, including gases released into the atmosphere.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Law of Conservation of Mass applies to all chemical reactions, including the burning of wood at a campfire. Despite the fact that only a few kilograms of ashes remain after several kilograms of wood are burned, the law still holds true. The missing mass that was once part of the wood has combined with oxygen during the burning process, resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide and water vapor, which are released into the atmosphere as smoke and gases. Therefore, if one were to measure the mass of the wood and oxygen before the burn and the mass of the ashes, carbon dioxide, and water vapor produced, it would demonstrate that the total mass remains constant.
The burning of wood is a vivid example of the conservation of mass outside the laboratory. The change in form of the matter from solid wood to various gases and ash does not imply the destruction or creation of new matter. The substances produced, such as gases and ashes, will have a mass that equals the mass of the reactants (the original wood and the oxygen it reacted with) when added together. Antoine Lavoisier, a French chemist, was the first to state this principle in 1789.