Question

The image below shows models that represent the reactants and products of a chemical reaction.

Reactants Products


Based on the above image, which of the following is true?
A.
Mass could have either been gained or lost during this chemical reaction because atoms always change mass when they react.
B.
Mass was conserved in this chemical reaction because the same atoms are present in both the products and the reactants.
C.
Mass was lost in this chemical reaction because the atoms in the reactants are smaller than the atoms in the products.
D.
Mass was gained in this chemical reaction because there are more atoms in the products than there were in the reactants.

Answer 1

The correct statement based on the principles of chemistry is:

**B. Mass was conserved in this chemical reaction because the same atoms are present in both the products and the reactants.**

In a chemical reaction, according to the law of conservation of mass, the total mass of the reactants must equal the total mass of the products, as no atoms are created or destroyed; they merely rearrange. Therefore, options A, C, and D are incorrect.