Use the chemical reaction to answer the question.

Question

NaHCO3+HC2H3O2→NaC2H3O2+H2O+CO2

A student mixes baking soda (NaHCO3
) and acetic acid (HC2H3O2
) to produce a chemical reaction shown. Which statement about the reaction is correct?

(1 point)
Responses

There are more H atoms after the reaction.
There are more H atoms after the reaction.

Atoms of Na are destroyed during the reaction.
Atoms of Na are destroyed during the reaction.

The atoms of the reactants are regrouped during the reaction.
The atoms of the reactants are regrouped during the reaction.

Some atoms gain mass after the reaction.

Answer 1

The correct statement about the reaction is:

The atoms of the reactants are regrouped during the reaction.

In a chemical reaction, atoms are neither created nor destroyed; they are rearranged to form new products. Thus, the total number of each type of atom remains the same before and after the reaction. The other statements are incorrect:

• There are not more H atoms after the reaction; the number of H atoms remains the same (there are three H atoms in NaHCO3 and three in HC2H3O2, totaling six H atoms in the reactants, which equals six in the products).
• Atoms of Na are not destroyed; they are present in both the reactants and the products.
• Atoms do not gain mass; mass is conserved in a chemical reaction.