: The law of conservation of mass as you have stated it is incomplete. It is: Matter can neither be created nor destroyed, only altered in form, or as Einstein would have it, converted to energy. And if you buy into modern day physics, matter never really pysically comes into contact with other matter. Since the primary methods of matter interacting with other matter are through electrostatic forces (charge) and this force increases (alot) as the distance between the charged particles decreases the atoms never really touch. For instance, when you sit on a chair, you are not really in physical contact with it. You are actually hoovering about an angstom over the surface of it. (But I'm no expert, just a physics student :) )

• Re: I Have Always Heard Matter Can Neither Be Created Or Destroyed - Rob_Worrall/">Rob Worrall - October 5, 1998 - 13:56 UTC