Conservation of Mass: Burning Steel Wool

Observe what happens to the mass of iron (steel) wool when it undergoes combustion in an open system.

Macroscopic View

0.00 g
Precision Balance

Microscopic View

Air (Gas) + Iron Lattice (Solid)

Iron (Fe) Atom
Oxygen (O₂) Gas
Iron Oxide (Rust/Ash)

What's happening here?

When you burn a piece of paper or wood, it usually gets lighter because gases like carbon dioxide escape into the air. However, when you burn steel wool (which is mostly iron), the mass actually increases!

This occurs due to the Law of Conservation of Mass. The iron isn't vanishing; it is actively combining with invisible oxygen molecules from the surrounding air to form a new solid substance called Iron Oxide ($Fe_2O_3$ or $Fe_3O_4$).

Chemical Equation:
4Fe (solid) + 3O₂ (gas) → 2Fe₂O₃ (solid)

Because the gaseous oxygen (which was previously floating weightlessly in the room) has now been physically locked into the solid lattice resting on the scale, the digital scale reads the combined mass of the iron plus the trapped oxygen.

Experiment Data Log

Initial Mass (Fe): -- g
Final Mass (Fe + O₂): -- g
Mass of Oxygen Gained: -- g
Percent Increase: -- %