Mass balance
Mass Balance
Mass balance (pronounced: /mæs bæləns/), also known as material balance, is a fundamental concept in the field of chemistry, chemical engineering, and pharmacokinetics. It is based on the principle of conservation of mass, which states that the total mass of a closed system remains constant over time, regardless of the processes occurring within the system.
Etymology
The term "mass balance" originates from the combination of the words "mass" and "balance". "Mass" (from Old English mæsse, from Latin massa, from Greek maza) refers to the quantity of matter in a physical body. "Balance" (from Latin bilanx, "two-scaled") refers to the act of comparing or measuring.
Related Terms
- Conservation of mass: A fundamental principle of physics stating that the total mass of an isolated system is constant, regardless of the processes acting inside the system.
- Stoichiometry: The calculation of relative quantities of reactants and products in chemical reactions.
- Chemical reaction: A process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another.
- Pharmacokinetics: The study of how an organism affects a drug, including the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.
Applications
Mass balance principles are widely used in various fields such as chemistry, chemical engineering, environmental science, and pharmacokinetics. In chemistry, it is used to balance chemical equations. In chemical engineering, it is used to design and analyze chemical processes. In environmental science, it is used to understand and predict the fate and transport of chemicals in the environment. In pharmacokinetics, it is used to model and predict drug behavior in the body.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Mass balance
- Wikipedia's article - Mass balance
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