Final answer:
The mass of a burning tree decreases as it is converted into smoke and gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor, but the total mass of the system remains constant according to the Law of Conservation of Mass. Therefore, the correct answer is c. It remains the same.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a tree burns, its mass decreases in the form of ashes left behind. However, this process is governed by the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
In the context of a burning tree, the mass is not truly lost but is converted into different substances, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor, which are released into the atmosphere as smoke and gases.
Therefore, if we could measure all products of the burning process, including the gases released, we would find that the total mass of matter after the fire is the same as it was before the fire.
The mass of a tree decreases when it burns. When wood burns, it combines with oxygen and changes into ashes, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. The gases produced by the fire float off into the air, leaving behind just the ashes.