Science Common Sense

1166 - Why does the total weight of matter remain unchanged before and after it dissolves or reacts?

This is known as the law of conservation of mass. It means that the total weight (or mass) of matter doesn't change, even when it changes form or reacts with something else.

Think of it like playdough. If you break a ball of playdough into smaller pieces or mix it with other playdough, the total amount of playdough stays the same. You can change its shape or mix it, but you can't create more or less playdough out of thin air.

It's the same with matter. When it dissolves or reacts, the atoms are just rearranging themselves, but the total number of atoms (and their weight) stays the same.