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Hi there! Today we will explore how plants make food using a cool science rule: no atoms are ever lost!
In a chemical reaction, we start with ingredients called reactants. They change into new things called products. But here is the secret: every single atom is saved and just rearranged!
During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and water. They use sunlight to break these molecules apart. Then, they rebuild them into sugar and oxygen gas.
The Law of Conservation of Mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed. We can prove this by counting the atoms on both sides of the photosynthesis equation. They will match perfectly!
Let us investigate a chemical equation to see if mass is conserved. We start with 6 Carbon atoms, 12 Hydrogen atoms, and 18 Oxygen atoms in our reactants. How many of each atom must be in the products?
- Identify the goal: We must apply the Law of Conservation of Mass to find the number of atoms in the products.
- Recall the science rule: Mass cannot be created or destroyed. This means the total number of each type of atom must stay exactly the same.
- Count the starting atoms: We have 6 Carbon (C), 12 Hydrogen (H), and 18 Oxygen (O) atoms.
- Apply the rule to the products: Since no atoms can disappear, the products must also have exactly 6 Carbon, 12 Hydrogen, and 18 Oxygen atoms.
- Conclude: The atoms have rearranged into new molecules like sugar and oxygen, but the total count of each atom remains unchanged.
