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Question
A student combines two liquids in a beaker. She observes that the mass of the combined liquid is less than the mass of the two separate liquids. The student claims that this observation shows that matter is not conserved in chemical reactions. Which statement explains why the student’s claim is incorrect?(1 point)
Responses
The combined liquid was warmer than the two separate liquids.
The combined liquid was warmer than the two separate liquids.
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
The product contained fewer atoms than the reactants.
The product contained fewer atoms than the reactants.
The reaction did not change the physical properties of the liquids.
The reaction did not change the physical properties of the liquids.
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1 answer
The correct response that explains why the student’s claim is incorrect is:
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
This indicates that some of the matter was lost from the system during the reaction, resulting in a lower observed mass of the combined liquid. The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system, so the missing mass is likely due to the escape of gas rather than a violation of the law itself.
