massabalansen

Massabalansen is the principle of conservation of mass applied to a defined system or control volume. It states that the total mass inside the system changes according to mass that flows in, mass that flows out, and any generation or consumption of mass within the system. In practice, it is expressed as a mass balance equation that tracks how much material is present, added, or removed over time.

The standard form uses a control volume and can be written as dM/dt = sum(in) – sum(out) + generation – consumption, where M represents the mass within the defined space. If the system is at steady state, dM/dt is zero, and inputs equal outputs plus net internal production or loss. The mass balance provides a quantitative framework for assessing material flows and accumulation.

Applications of massabalansen span many fields. In chemical engineering, it is used for reactor design, process optimization, and material flow calculations. In environmental science, it helps quantify nutrient cycles, pollutant transport, and watershed budgets. In hydrology and ecology, it supports understanding of matter fluxes, sediment transport, and ecosystem productivity. In pharmacology and physiology, it underpins modeling of drug distribution and metabolite excretion.

Methodologically, performing a mass balance involves defining the system boundary, identifying all relevant species, measuring or estimating flow rates and concentrations, and applying the balance equation to solve for unknowns. Data quality, unit consistency, and appropriate assumptions about mixing, reactions, and phase changes are important considerations.

In Dutch usage, the concept is often referred to as massa-balans or massa balans, and the term massabalansen may appear as an anglicized or localized spelling.