Magnesium hydroxide reacts with nitric acid to produce magnesium nitrate and water.

Mg(OH)2+2HNO3→Mg(NO3)2+2H2O
Mg
(
OH
)
2
+
2
HNO
3

Mg
(
NO
3
)
2
+
2
H
2
O


In one to two sentences, explain in easy words how because this chemical equation is balanced, it demonstrates that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

1 answer

This balanced chemical equation shows that the number of each type of atom is the same on both sides of the reaction; for example, there are the same number of magnesium, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen atoms before and after the reaction. Therefore, it demonstrates that matter is neither created nor destroyed during the chemical reaction, just rearranged to form new substances.