Question

Use the chemical reaction to answer the 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

Some atoms gain mass after the reaction.
Some atoms gain mass after the reaction.

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

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

There are more H atoms 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 conserved and merely rearranged to form new products. The law of conservation of mass states that the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of the products, so atoms are not lost or created, and thus no atoms gain mass or are destroyed. The number of hydrogen atoms also remains the same before and after the reaction.