Cynthia is holding a sheet of paper with a mass of 2 grams. She tears the sheet into many small pieces. Which of the following is true? a. Each piece of paper has a mass of 2 grams. b. The total mass of all the pieces of paper is more than 2 grams. c. The total mass of all the pieces of paper is less than 2 grams. d. The total mass of all the pieces of paper is 2 grams.
Chemistry · High School · Thu Feb 04 2021
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d. The total mass of all the pieces of paper is 2 grams.
- When Cynthia tears the sheet of paper into many small pieces, she is not adding or removing any material from the paper; she is merely changing its shape and size. The Law of Conservation of Mass tells us that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system through chemical or physical changes. Tearing the paper is a physical change; it does not alter the amount of matter present. Therefore, the total combined mass of the pieces will remain the same as the original mass of the whole sheet of paper, which is 2 grams.