The law of conservation of mass (or matter) states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system. In your scenario, if you started with 100 g of HCO₃⁻ (bicarbonate) and added it to 100 mL of acetic acid, the total mass of the reactants should equal the total mass of the products, assuming no mass is lost to the environment (e.g., through gas escaping).
Let's break it down:
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Reactants: You have 100 g of HCO₃⁻ and the mass of 100 mL of acetic acid (about 100 g, assuming the density is close to water).
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Products: You mentioned producing 150 mL of sodium acetate, 25 mL of water, and some CO₂.
To check if the law of conservation of mass holds, you need to consider the total mass of the reactants and the total mass of the products.
You would need to calculate the total mass of the products from their volumes and densities. For example, the density of water is approximately 1 g/mL, so:
- 150 mL of sodium acetate solution would need its mass calculated based on its density.
- 25 mL of water would be roughly 25 g.
- The mass of the CO₂ released would also need to be accounted for, as it represents some of the mass lost if gas escapes.
If the total mass of the products, including the CO₂ gas and any other components, equals the total initial mass of the reactants (HCO₃⁻ and acetic acid), then the law of conservation of mass is met.
So, the statement you made may not be accurate without the proper mass balance. In summary, you need to ensure all masses are accounted for, including gases produced, to determine if the law of conservation of matter is indeed upheld in your reaction scenario.