conservation law

American  

noun

Physics, Chemistry.

1. any law stating that some quantity or property remains constant during and after an interaction or process, as conservation of charge or conservation of linear momentum.

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conservation law Scientific  

1. Any of various principles, such as the conservation of charge and the conservation of energy, that require some measurable property of a closed system to remain constant as the system changes. Conservation laws can be directly related to principles of symmetry.

2. See also invariance Noether's theorem

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Etymology

Origin of conservation law

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

With its shopping centers and cul-de-sacs carved into Joshua tree woodlands, Yucca Valley is probably the developed community most profoundly affected by the conservation law, said town manager Curtis Yakimow.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2025

Macaques are classified as a protected species under Thailand’s wildlife conservation law.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 3, 2024

In 1980, Arizona enacted a groundwater conservation law that requires developers in the Phoenix metropolitan region to assure buyers that their homes and businesses have a 100-year water supply.

From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2022

According to a 1915 theorem by mathematician Emmy Noether, any symmetry in a physical system leads to a conservation law.

From Scientific American • Nov. 18, 2022

Heavy fines and criminal penalties, including imprisonment up to one year, were provided for infringements of the conservation law by enterprises and individuals.

From Area Handbook for Romania by Bernier, Donald W.