Name_________________________

Law of Conservation of Mass Lab

Introduction
The Law of Conservation of Mass states that matter (atoms) cannot be created nor destroyed
during a chemical reaction; it is only rearranged. In this lab, you will prove this law. Below are
the word and chemical equations that you will be working with. Identify the reactants and
products.

Part 1
Procedure
1. Pour 2 scoops of the baking soda into a plastic bag.
2. Fill a plastic cup with 4 squirts of vinegar from a pipette.
3. Carefully place the cup of vinegar into the plastic bag without spilling it.
4. Carefully determine the mass of the bag, baking soda, and cup of vinegar together and
record this initial mass in the data table below.
5. Leave the bag open and tip over the cup of vinegar so that it reacts with the baking soda.
Record your observations of what happens below:

6. Determine the mass of the contents of the plastic bag again and record the final mass in
the data table.

Part 2
1. Repeat the procedure from Part 1 except this time you will close the plastic bag and leave
it closed while you determine the initial mass, mix the baking soda and vinegar, and
record the final mass. Make sure to record your observations of the reaction below:

Analysis
1. Describe what happened when the vinegar was poured into the baking soda.

2. Is this a chemical reaction (chemical change)? What evidence do you have to support
this?

3. The first reaction you performed saw a drop in mass. The law of conservation of mass
states that you cannot gain or lose mass in a reaction. Where did the mass go? (Think
about your evidence for a chemical reaction)

4. Why did we do the second reaction in a sealed bag? Did this reaction support the law of
conservation of mass?

5. Is the equation you were given at the beginning of the lab balanced? (Do the number of
atoms in the reactants equal the number in the products?) Show the work below.