What happens to the mass of a substance when it changes from a solid to a liquid?
Question
What happens to the mass of a substance when it changes from a solid to a liquid?
Solution
When a substance changes from a solid to a liquid, its mass does not change. This is because mass is a measure of the amount of matter in a substance, and this amount does not change during a phase transition. Here are the steps that explain this process:
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Consider a solid substance. The mass of this substance is determined by the number and types of atoms it contains.
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When the substance is heated, it may change from a solid to a liquid. This is known as melting.
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During melting, the arrangement of atoms in the substance changes. In the solid phase, the atoms are closely packed together in a regular pattern. In the liquid phase, the atoms are still close together, but they can move around more freely.
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Despite this change in arrangement, the number and types of atoms in the substance do not change. Therefore, the amount of matter in the substance, and hence its mass, remains the same.
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This principle is a reflection of the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system. Therefore, the mass of a substance will remain constant during phase transitions, including the transition from a solid to a liquid.
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