la_belle_laide | Chemistry question!

I know that among my flist I am lucky enough to have people of biology, chemistry and physics training and I am thankful for that. Once again I am calling on you guys, and on anyone else who can answer my question.

This isn't a question on a test or anything and it's nothing I really need to know in order to pass, but it's bugging me. And please bear in mind that this is an ignorant question: it comes from someone who didn't even bother to try in high school chemistry, which was back in '88 or something. O_O So!

Okay, first we have the laws of the conservation of energy and mass, right? This is one of my favorite things ever, you guys know the one: Mass / Energy is neither created nor destroyed. Okay, great, so far, so good.

But then we came to atomic mass, where it says that the mass of a single atom is less than the sum of its parts, if you will, because some of the mass is lost when the atom's different components came together.

Okay, so WTF? On one hand, mass is never lost, but when an atom forms, mass is lost?

I asked the professor that today but it was all rushed and towards the end of class etc. and a lot of other people were talking and stuff and I think all I got from around the entire classroom was a group of "I dunno's" and shrugs.

Can anyone explain this to me?

Also, do you just adore my icon? I made it. ^_^

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

energy isn't destroyed, but it can be moved around, so to speak. my best layman's explanation is that the mass leaves the ATOM, but that doesn't mean it ceases to exist. it's just released.

It does make sense (as does the example,) but when I asked "where does the mass go?" the answer was, "I don't know."

I wonder if anyone does?

well, i don't know that there's necessarily one answer to that. could just be free-floating, or stick to something else.

trying to remember how static works...you basically have a negative charge built up from friction, and when you touch something, the electrons try to jump to it to balance out the positive charge, and spark!

a similar example. if something cools down that was hot, that heat energy isn't being destroyed. it's simply being dispersed. does that make sense?

Here's a link to what I think it is. That when they come together, the mass is lost in energy. That's all I can think of at the moment.

So, the mass transforms into energy? I mean, that makes sense; it really does.

Does Energy transform into mass, ever?

I guess I took the two laws at face value and never tried to cross them (OMG CROSSOVER NIGHTMARE! MXE OTP!!!1111 THEIR LOVE IS SO QUANTUM!!111)

I just know that E=MC2 comes into play here, but I am too retarded to figure out where and how.

Thanks for this answer;it is to the point and helpful.

How much do you love my icon? ;D

I'd ask someone more heavily invested in chemistry to give you a more descriptive answer, or give me more time to run over my old physics notes, but I want to say yes.

I hearts ur iconz. ;D Nerd humor is the best thing in the world. <3 I also seriously need to get off the computer and get my laundry done, but it's too much fun looking up this stuff. ;D

Well, but I appreciate it, and chances are that someone more invested might give me an answer I won't understand. :D

Thank you for liking my con, I am particularly happy with this one. :) I whipped it up in about ten minutes.

You think there are internet addiction sites out there? ;D

I found the article of what I linked to earlier. It doesn't look to much more interesting than the snippet, but it's there. Because I can't stop looking shit up and skimming over it. ;D

So it's gamma rays. Those bastards! :D

Because some of it is released as energy in it's formation and some of it is stored as potential energy of various kinds.

My hubby told me...he had a scholarship in theoretical physics.:)

Why thank you! So the mass becomes energy, either released or potential.

I can't even begin to picture how that manifests.

I really loved your question, so I had to go and ask my hubby.:) Thanks for posting it.:)

Chemistry question!

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