law of conservation of mass
1
4.1
- noun
- /lɔː ʌv ˌkɒnsərˈveɪʃən ʌv mæs/
- Specialized
:
ley de conservación de la masa
- According to the law of conservation of mass, chemical reactions do not create or destroy matter.
Among his many notable discoveries were his proposal of the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass is neither created nor destroyed.
- Among his many notable discoveries were his proposal of the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass is neither created nor destroyed.
Examples
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Among his many notable discoveries were his proposal of the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass is neither created nor destroyed.
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The law of conservation of mass states that in a closed system, the total mass remains constant over time.
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Understanding the law of conservation of mass is essential for studying physical sciences.
Synonyms
1
4.0
The total mass in a system that does not gain or lose matter stays the same over time
1
3.9
The idea that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system but only changes form
A rule that matter cannot be made or destroyed in a closed container, so the total amount stays the same
Surface Forms
Morphology
law + of + conservation + of + mass
The phrase is fully compositional: 'law' (a general rule) + 'conservation' (preservation) + 'mass' (matter) yields the meaning 'a rule that mass is preserved'. This is a standard scientific formulation with close equivalents in many languages, so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Law of conservation of mass comes from early experiments where scientists put materials in a closed container and weighed them, finding the total mass stayed the same, and the word conservation means 'not lost'. That's why the phrase means 'matter cannot be created or destroyed' during ordinary changes.