Question #cb9c2
1 Answer
The idea that matter in the universe is neither created nor destroyed.
Explanation:
Many things in the universe is made of matter, which translates to atoms. For example, paper is made of millions upon millions of atoms. If you burn the piece of paper, you're not destroying the atoms, they might have have just formed into gas or ash. At the same time, you can't make atoms magically appear out of nowhere. The universe in a sense has a set amount of atoms that does not decrease or increase.
When you translate that into chemistry, when something reacts, the amount of atoms never change. What's a bit strange is that the product can become heavier or lighter, but the amount of atoms itself never changes. It's important to understand that the amount of atoms in a closed system never changes (though in reality if a reaction is not in a closed system like a well sealed box, some atoms might escape the area of the reaction due to wind or some other factor).
