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)

Question

Responses

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.

The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.

The combined liquid was warmer than the two separate liquids.
The combined liquid was warmer than the two separate liquids.

Answer 1

The correct response is: The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.

This statement explains why the student’s observation is not consistent with the law of conservation of mass. If gas was produced during the combination of the two liquids and escaped the beaker, it would lead to a decrease in the total mass measured, even though matter was conserved overall.