Gases from burning log weighs the same?

Question

If you were to weigh a log, and say it came out to 10 pounds, Then burn the long untill theres nothing else to burn, and catch all the gasses that come from the burning log, into a huge bag, or some other thing, will the gas weigh 10 pounds when the log is done burning?

Answer 1

The weight would be much greater than the original log, although mass is conserved. The primary elements that are oxidized during burning are carbon and hydrogen. Carbon combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. This increases the mass by a factor of 3.7 because 2 oxygen atoms (atomic weight 16) are attached to each carbon (atomic weight 12). The hydrogen burns to water (H2O) so 2 pounds of hydrogen produces 18 pounds of water vapor.

If you were to discount the mass of the oxygen then the mass of ash and gases would equal the mass of the log. Be careful with the term "weigh". You can't really weigh the gas because of its buoyancy in air but if you condsider the mass, all I said above is correct.

Answer 2

As per the Law of conservation of mass the weight of reactants will equal to the weight of products, only gas will not be 10 pounds collect the ash and the coal formed it will be 10 pounds.

Answer 3

no because the ashes that remain from the log weigh something too, so those plus the gasses would probably come up to the 10 pounds... i am guessing...! lol..

Answer 4

regardless of each thing the moisture interior the log evaporates through warmth, and to no longer point out all the issue and ability saved interior the wood going up in smoke and ashes. So, no, it would lay much less.

Answer 5

Almost, but not quite. See, some of the mass was exothermicly devolved into infrared photons, (heat energy) and depending on the temperature of the flames that mass may be significant (more if hotter, less if colder), but essentially you are correct as long as you take the residue into account as well.