Mrs. Franklin's class mixed vinegar and baking soda. They observed a bubbling chemical reaction. They weighed the materials before they mixed them and after each reaction. The table shows the data collected.

Question

Weight of Baking

Soda Before Mixing

(grams)

Weight of Vinegar

Before Mixing

(grams)

Weight of Mixture

After Reaction

(grams)

25 25 49
50 50 98
75 75 147

Question
The class noticed the weight after the reaction was less than the combined weights before mixing them.



Which is the ,begin emphasis,best,end emphasis, explanation for the difference in weight?

Answer options with 4 options
A.
Some of the vinegar evaporated during the reaction.

B.
There was an error made when weighing the mixture.

C.
There was a gas given off during the reaction that was not weighed.

D.
When a solid and a liquid are mixed, some of the matter is dissolved.

Answer 1

The best explanation for the difference in weight observed by Mrs. Franklin's class is:

C. There was a gas given off during the reaction that was not weighed.

When vinegar (acetic acid) reacts with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), carbon dioxide gas is produced as a byproduct of the reaction. This gas escapes into the air and is not captured in the weight measurement of the mixture after the reaction, leading to the observed decrease in weight.