Principle of Equivalent Exchange

The practice of alchemy to create objects out of raw matter or turn one object into another is widely believed to be capable of anything-- indeed, alchemy is often viewed as magical or miraculous by those unfamiliar with the craft. But it is a science, and as such subject to certain laws and limitations. The most notable of these laws fall under the concept of Equivalent Exchange: "In order to obtain or create something, something of equal value must be lost or destroyed."

The Principle of Equivalent Exchange is separated into two parts:

• The Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that energy and matter can neither be created from nothing nor destroyed to the point of elemental nonexistence. In other words, to create an object with the mass of one kilogram, at least one kilogram of material is necessary; destroying an object with the mass of one kilogram would reduce it to a set of parts, the sum of which would have the collective mass of one kilogram.
• The Law of Natural Providence, which states that an object or material made of a particular substance or element can only be transmuted into another object with the same basic makeup and properties of that initial material. In other words, an object or material made mostly of water can only be transmuted into another object with the base attributes of water.