Is it possible for two (or more) ingredients, when mixed, to weigh more than they do separately? If so, what and why? When I make porridge in the morning it certainly seems as if this is the case. If so, have I stumbled on a potential dieting gold mine?
• The simple answer is no. One of the fundamental laws of physics is the conservation of mass and energy. Normal chemical processes do nothing to alter matter, they just rearrange atoms in different ways. Nuclear reactions can convert matter to energy, but as long as this energy is not lost…
