Law of Conservation of Mass
What is the Law of Conservation of Mass?
According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, what is the main postulate given by Antoine Lavoisier?
Law of Conservation of Mass Explanation
The Law of Conservation of Mass states that mass can neither be created nor destroyed. Mass can only be transformed from one form to another. This law was proposed by Antoine Lavoisier, a French chemist, in the late 18th century.
One of the main postulates given by Antoine Lavoisier regarding the Law of Conservation of Mass is that oxygen plays an important role in combustion. The other main postulate is that the mass of the reactants and products in a chemical reaction is conserved.
Antoine Lavoisier's work on the Law of Conservation of Mass laid the foundation for modern chemistry. This fundamental principle states that the total mass of the reactants in a chemical reaction must equal the total mass of the products. In other words, matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, it can only change forms.
For example, if water and phosphorus with a total mass of 200 grams are mixed in a flask and a chemical reaction occurs, the total mass of the products after the reaction will still be 200 grams. This demonstrates the conservation of mass as described by Lavoisier's postulates.
Understanding the Law of Conservation of Mass is essential in chemical reactions and provides a basis for stoichiometry, the branch of chemistry that deals with the calculation of reactants and products in chemical reactions.