can matter ever just "disappear?

Question

like as in dissolve and stuff? i kno its not supposed to, but like if it disolves from accid? does that work? and if they never "dissapear", then what if there is just too much matter?

Answer 1

Whoa, there is no conservation of matter law. In fact, from E = mc^2 matter can be destroyed and converted into energy. Now, before, we get a riot on our hands, yes, matter and energy are equivalent. But, and this is a big BUT, they are not the same.

The most pronounced difference between matter and energy is that matter has inertia and cannot reach the speed of light because of it; while energy does not have that kind of inertial and can reach the speed of light.

So the answer is yes it can just disappear; happens spontaneously all the time with radioactive materials. For example, when gamma rays are released (photon energy) some of the mass of the radioactive material disappears. And, of course, in fusion and fission bombs, some of the mass in the so-called nuclear package is destroyed (disappears) to produce those huge blasts of energy.

As to dissovling...that is a chemical, not atomic, reaction. An at that level of matter, matter is in fact converted, not destroyed. It turns from one form or chemical, into another...often releasing and absorbing heat in the process. For example, when hydrogen and oxygen combine, they form water and release heat in doing so. Bang.

But, and this is a big BUT, both the hydrogen and the oxygen are still there. They are now a liquid rather than gas, and they are now locked together rather than free flowing. But, nontheless, the mattter (oxygen and hydrogen) is still there.

Bottom line, at the atomic level, matter can and does just disappear. At the moclecular level, no.

Answer 2

Antoine Lavoisier, often referred to as the father of modern chemistry, proved that matter is always conserved. There was a TV show recently and this was beautifully dramatized.

He lived in the 18th century and to prove the conservation of matter with the equipment they had at that time was a monumental effort. His wife was also contributed to his efforts as she was a trained chemist as was he.

One of his experiments involved burning some material, collecting all the ash, smoke, any and all byproducts of the combustion. Also since it required oxygen to combust he had to know how much oxygen was used, by weight as that would add into the starting mass.

He managed to do this and his experiment was reproducible and his results were re-confirmed. His theory was proven to the satisfaction of the science community at that time. This theory is still taught today in beginning chem and physics studies.

Now fast forward to the beginning of the 20th century and the discovery of General and Special Relativity and the fields of quaantum mechanics. Here is where some matter seemed to just disappear, incrededably small amounts at first but enough to get the science community scratching their collective chins.

To get around this for an expalnation they combined the priciples of conservation of mass with the conservation of energy. And of course the famous e = mc^2 equation was accepted as an approximate go between.

Now if we read a little more they have introduced the concept of sub atomic particles "winking in and out of existence". So there are many more fascinating chapters to come.

To me when they say "winking in and out of existence" without any reference to time implies that this is occurring in zero time. This should be an affront to our senses. And remember before experimental physicists figured out that light had a finite speed, it was widely accepted that light travelled at an infinite speed, also an affront to the intelligence of a few including Hippolyte Fizeau and in 1849
he designed and built a little machine that sucessfully measured the speed of light. His machine was ingenious and you should look it up and try to understand it.

So right now, there are physicists in the sear group (marching to the beat of their own drum) who are coming up with ideas to prove by experiment some things that many in the mainstream science community pass off untestable.
This also should not only be an affront to our senses but also the generous funding agencies that fork over the dough to the science community.

Answer 3

Matter when it is dissolved does not just disappear. It seperates from it's larger solid piece and moves in between the liquid molecules.

depending on which exotic model of the universe is currently in vogue.....

The only way matter can truly disappear is to be turned into pure energy (atomic or hydrogen bomb, center of a star) or disappear into a black hole.

... or just pop into and out of existence in the vast reaches of intergalactic space.

Answer 4

The Law of Mass Conservation clearly states that "Matter cannot be created or destroyed, ir can only change form." So to answer your first question, (as far as we humans know) matter cannot be destroyed. When it dissolves in acid, for example, it would probably give off steam or heat or something like that; the steam, heat (or what ever was given off) would be the matter!