In a chemical reaction, two molecules are rearranged to produce two new molecules. Reactant 1 has a mass of 12 g. Reactant 2 has a mass of 23 g. The mass of product 1 is 15 g. The mass of product 2 is _____.(1 point)

Responses

11 g
11 g

20 g
20 g

35 g
35 g

27 g

1 answer

In a chemical reaction, the law of conservation of mass states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system. Therefore, the total mass of the reactants should equal the total mass of the products.

Let's calculate the total mass of the reactants:

  • Mass of reactant 1 = 12 g
  • Mass of reactant 2 = 23 g

Total mass of reactants = 12 g + 23 g = 35 g

Now, we have the mass of product 1:

  • Mass of product 1 = 15 g

Let the mass of product 2 be \( x \). According to the law of conservation of mass:

Total mass of products = Mass of product 1 + Mass of product 2 35 g = 15 g + x

Now solve for \( x \):

x = 35 g - 15 g x = 20 g

Therefore, the mass of product 2 is 20 g.