Question

A fresh corpse is sealed in an airtight dungeon. 100 years later, the corpse is now a skeleton. Does the total mass of the dungeon, the corpse, and other contents increase, decrease, or remain unchanged? Where does the flesh go? Explain your hypothesis.

Answer 1

The total mass of the dungeon, the corpse, and other contents would remain the same as the decomposing flesh breaks down and is released into the environment in various forms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The total mass of the dungeon, the corpse, and other contents would remain the same. When a corpse decomposes, the flesh breaks down into various organic compounds such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane gas. These compounds are released into the surrounding environment, but they don't disappear. The overall mass of the system remains constant, as the decomposition process involves the conversion of organic matter into different forms.

For example, the water in the body becomes part of the soil or evaporates into the air, while the carbon dioxide and methane are released into the air. However, the total mass of all the components, including the dungeon, the skeleton, and the decomposed matter, remains unchanged.