conservation of mass

noun Physics.

the principle that in any closed system subjected to no external forces, the mass is constant irrespective of its changes in form; the principle that matter cannot be created or destroyed.
Also called law of conservation of mass, conservation of matter.

Origin of conservation of mass

First recorded in 1880–85

Words nearby conservation of mass

conservation of baryon number, conservation of charge, conservation of energy, conservation of lepton number, conservation of linear momentum, conservation of mass, conservation of momentum, conservation of parity, conservationist, conservatism, conservative

British Dictionary definitions for conservation of mass

conservation of mass

noun

the principle that the total mass of any isolated system is constant and is independent of any chemical and physical changes taking place within the system

Scientific definitions for conservation of mass

conservation of mass

A principle of classical physics stating that the total mass of a closed system is unchanged by interaction of its parts. The principle does not hold under Special Relativity, since mass and energy can be converted into one another.