The best explanation for the reaction between hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to form sodium chloride (NaCl) and water (H₂O) is:
The total mass of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide will result in the same total mass of sodium chloride and water.
This is in accordance with the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. Therefore, the total mass of the reactants (hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide) will equal the total mass of the products (sodium chloride and water).
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