What is the significance of the law of conservation of mass

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph. Chemistry Expert. Helmenstine holds a Ph. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated October 09, Key Takeaways: Conservation of Mass Simply stated, the law of conservation of mass means matter cannot be created or destroyed, but it can change forms.

In chemistry, the law is used to balance chemical equations. The number and type of atoms must be the same for both reactants and products. Credit for discovering the law may be given to either Mikhail Lomonosov or Antoine Lavoisier. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph. This particular resource used the following sources:. Skip to main content. Atoms, Molecules, and Ions.

Search for:. The Law of Conservation of Mass. Learning Objective Define the law of conservation of mass. Key Points The law of conservation of mass states that mass in an isolated system is neither created nor destroyed by chemical reactions or physical transformations.

Try to calculate it yourself! This video will explain why mass remains constant throughout a chemical reaction.

This is also why we need to balance equations when we write them. You will also learn why some reactions seem like they're losing or gaining mass depending on what the reactants and products are. By JyntoRobert A. In chemical reactions, bonds between atoms are broken and reformed, but the actual atoms present stay the same. Atoms contain the mass in all matter, so the masses on each side of the reaction are always the same. This is called the Conservation of Mass in chemical reactions, and was discovered by Antoine Lavoisier in The mass of reactants and products of any chemical reaction must stay the same.