note- 9. When a fire burns a log of wood the mass of the ashes left behind is much less than the mass of the original log. Is this an exception to the law of conservation of mass? Explain (3).

Question

note- 9. When a fire burns a log of wood the mass of the ashes left behind is much less than the mass of the original log. Is this an exception to the law of conservation of mass? Explain (3).

Answer 1

No, the burning of a log of wood is not an exception to the law of conservation of mass. The seemingly "missing" mass is actually converted into gases that are released into the atmosphere during the combustion process.Here's the breakdown:1. **Chemical Reaction:** Burning wood is a chemical reaction called combustion. In this reaction, the wood (primarily composed of cellulose) reacts with oxygen in the air.2. **Products of Combustion:** This reaction produces ash (solid residue containing minerals and unburnt carbon), carbon dioxide gas, water vapor, and other volatile gases.3. **Conservation of Mass:** The mass of the original log plus the mass of the oxygen consumed during burning equals the mass of the ash plus the mass of the gases produced. While it appears that mass is lost because the gases are invisible and disperse into the air, their mass is still present in the atmosphere. If we could capture and weigh all the products of combustion, including the gases, we would find that the total mass remains constant.

Question

note- 9. When a fire burns a log of wood the mass of the ashes left behind is much less than the mass of the original log. Is this an exception to the law of conservation of mass? Explain (3).

Solution

Answer