Does the law of conservation of mass require water to be in a particular phase?

Question

Aubrey Arnold · Accepted Answer

That is NOT a requirement of the conservation of mass.

Conservation of mass is useful for following material movements. BUT, it does not necessarily apply to molecules. "Water" is not a physically conserved property! It may be consumed, broken down, used for other things, and also created by different chemical reactions (combustion of organic material being a huge one). There is nothing in the conservation of mass that requires a mass to go through any particular phases or physical locations.

Eliana Andrade · Answer

undefined No, the law of conservation of mass does not require water to be in a particular phase. The law states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction, only rearranged. Therefore, whether water is in a solid (ice), liquid, or gaseous (vapor) phase, the total mass remains constant before and after any physical or chemical changes.