Question
Magnesium hydroxide reacts with nitric acid to produce magnesium nitrate and water.
Mg(OH)2+2HNO3→Mg(NO3)2+2H2O
In one to two sentences, explain how because this chemical equation is balanced, it demonstrates that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
(2 points)
Mg(OH)2+2HNO3→Mg(NO3)2+2H2O
In one to two sentences, explain how because this chemical equation is balanced, it demonstrates that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
(2 points)
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The balanced chemical equation Mg(OH)₂ + 2HNO₃ → Mg(NO₃)₂ + 2H₂O shows that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation, indicating that all reactants are accounted for in the products. This illustrates the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction.