When magnesium hydroxide reacts with nitric acid, it produces magnesium nitrate and water.

Question

Mg(OH)2 + 2HNO3 -> Mg(NO3)2 + 2H2O

In one to two sentences, explain how this reaction demonstrates that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

Answer 1

This reaction demonstrates the law of conservation of mass as the total number of atoms of each element remains the same on both sides of the chemical equation, indicating that no new atoms are created or destroyed during the reaction.