Asked by ronald

Mrs. Smith is demonstrating a chemical change for her class. She places 15 grams of baking soda into a beaker. Next she adds 15 grams of vinegar to the same beaker. When the two compounds make contact, they bubble and fizz a great deal. She places the beaker on the balance and notes that the mass of the solution in the beaker is less than the expected 30 grams.

Explain why the mass of the solution in the beaker is less than 30 grams.
Responses

A The balance was not working correctly.The balance was not working correctly.

B The gas that was released changed the mass.The gas that was released changed the mass.

C Mass is always lost in a chemical reaction.Mass is always lost in a chemical reaction.

D The new products have less mass than the original reactants.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Answer: B

When baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) reacts with vinegar (acetic acid) it produces carbon dioxide gas (plus water and sodium acetate). The CO2 bubbles escape from the beaker into the air, so the mass of the remaining solution in the beaker is less than 30 g. (If the system were closed so no gas could escape, the total mass would still be conserved.)