Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2 + H2
Fiona weighs the magnesium and hydrochloric acid before the reaction and finds a total mass of 55 grams. After the reaction, she measures the mass of the products, magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and hydrogen (H2), and finds a total mass of 55 grams again. Does Fiona's data support the law of conservation of matter, and why?
a
No, because the mass of the reactants is lower than the mass of the products in her data.
b
Yes, because the mass of the reactants is lower than the mass of the products in her data.
c
No, because the mass of the reactants is the same as the mass of the products in her data.
d
Yes, because the mass of the reactants is the same as the mass of the products in her data.
1 answer
The correct answer is:
d. Yes, because the mass of the reactants is the same as the mass of the products in her data.
This supports the law of conservation of matter, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. Since Fiona measured the mass of both the reactants and the products and found them to be equal at 55 grams, it indicates that mass is conserved during the reaction.
