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A process in the carbon cycle is seen when carbon in coal burns in the presence of oxygen to form carbon dioxide. Which of the following statements best proves that the law of conservation is obeyed during this process?

The total mass of carbon used up is equal to the total mass of oxygen used up.
The total mass of oxygen and carbon dioxide is equal to the total mass of carbon.
The total mass of oxygen and carbon is equal to the total mass of carbon dioxide.
The total mass of carbon used up is equal to the total mass of carbon dioxide formed.

1 answer

The statement that best proves that the law of conservation of mass is obeyed during the combustion of carbon in coal is:

The total mass of carbon used up is equal to the total mass of carbon dioxide formed.

This statement demonstrates that during the burning process, the mass of the reactants (carbon and oxygen) is equal to the mass of the products (carbon dioxide), thus obeying the law of conservation of mass.