How do chemical reactions demonstrate the law of Conservation of Matter?
Please Help!!

Question

How do chemical reactions demonstrate the law of Conservation of Matter?
Please Help!!

photon336 · Answer

@nlopez15 

I'd like to show you this chemical reaction. first the law of conservation of matter, means that matter can neither be created nor destroyed. Well, okay that's great but what does that mean? it means that when we start off with say a certain number of atoms, right we need to have the same number of atoms for each of the products. so whatever mass we have before a chemical reaction, we must have after a chemical reaction too. 

take a look at this. 

$$N_{2} + 3H_{2} => 2NH_{3}$$

in the reactants we have 2 atoms of nitrogen 
and 6 atoms of hydrogen can you see why? 

now let's go to the products we have 2 atoms of nitrogen
and 6 atoms of hydrogen. 

do you see a pattern here? the pattern is that the number of atoms that we state with for each element is the same in both the reactants and products. 

so that's what the law means.

photon336 · Answer

and it's like the point of chemistry or one of them. you need to always make sure your chemical reactions are balanced, that is they obey the law of conservation of matter.

anonymous · Answer

Ok so it demonstrates the law of conservation because it starts with a certain number of atoms and ends with the same number correct?

photon336 · Answer

yeah, that's all it is :)

anonymous · Answer

Awesome Thank You!

photon336 · Answer

no problem