system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Is the total wealth constant ?

Like the total mass-energy of universe constant, is wealth constant and just keeps changing hands or can it be created?


PS: I am a high school science student with economics as a optional subject (who intends to switch to a Econ degree in college) so the question and the analogy may sound super stupid. Sorry and Thanks




Edit: Thanks for response everyone.
gpt
First, not a stupid question or analogy. Nothing wrong with asking questions about things you haven't been taught yet. 

Second: no, wealth is not constant.

Unlike matter/energy, the concept of wealth is linked to human activity. Wealth can be measured in money or goods. Since money is the medium of exchange for goods, I'll simplify a bit and focus on goods.

Production of goods has 3 basic components: labour, capital (equipment, tools, buildings), and technology. Capital and labour have some fixed productivity (goods they can produce in a unit of time). If you simply add more people, the wealth of each person stays about the same (for the Econs: not going to get into diminishing marginal returns, so please excuse the over-simplification). If technology improves, however, the same amount of people can be more productive - increasing wealth per person.

Basically, technology and new knowledge can improve productivity (we can make more stuff in less time). Improved productivity increases wealth.