The scientist figured out that the product would be 15.9 grams of copper sulfide by using something called the Law of Conservation of Matter. This law says that during a chemical reaction, the atoms just get rearranged, but the total amount stays the same. So, if you take 12.7 grams and add 3.2 grams:
12.7
- 3.2
You get 15.9 grams.
So, he knew it would be 15.9 because he added those numbers together, and the law told him he was correct!