How does a balanced chemical equation demonstrate the law of conservation of mass?

Answer 1

A balanced chemical equation demonstrates the law of conservation of mass by showing that the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products. This means that during a chemical reaction, the total number of atoms of each element remains constant.

In a balanced chemical equation, the coefficients in front of each compound represent the number of molecules or moles of that compound. These coefficients determine the ratio in which substances react and are formed.

According to the law of conservation of mass, matter cannot be created or destroyed during a chemical reaction. The total mass of the reactants before the reaction must equal the total mass of the products after the reaction. By balancing the chemical equation, it ensures that the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation is the same.

For example, in the reaction 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O, there are 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms on the reactant side, and 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms on the product side. The number of atoms is conserved, demonstrating the law of conservation of mass.