1. Law of Conservation of Mass: This fundamental law states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in ordinary chemical and physical changes. This means the total mass of the system remains constant.
2. Dissolving: When a solute dissolves in a solvent, the solute molecules become dispersed throughout the solvent. The solute molecules are still present, just distributed differently.
3. No Change in Total Mass: While the solute particles are no longer visible as a separate phase, their mass is still present in the solution. The total mass of the solution is equal to the mass of the solvent plus the mass of the solute.
Example:
Imagine adding 10 grams of sugar (solute) to 100 grams of water (solvent).
* Initial mass: 10 grams (sugar) + 100 grams (water) = 110 grams
* Final mass: 110 grams (sugar solution)
The mass of the sugar solution remains 110 grams, even though the sugar has dissolved and is no longer visibly separate. The sugar molecules are still present within the solution, contributing to the overall mass.
Key points:
* No new matter is created: The dissolving process doesn't involve creating new matter. It just changes how the matter is distributed.
* No matter is lost: The solute molecules are simply dispersed throughout the solvent, but they still contribute to the total mass.
Therefore, the conservation of mass is upheld even when adding a solute to a solvent. The total mass of the system remains constant before and after the dissolving process.
