A student was adding baking soda and vinegar in a bottle. They then put a balloon on top of the bottle immediately after adding them together. The student observed that the balloon inflated and got larger. The student then predicted that the chemical reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda had created brand new matter, and would have more mass at the end of the reaction. Would you agree with the student’s prediction or not? Explain your answer.
Well, I must say, that student really blew up that theory! But unfortunately, their prediction is not quite accurate. When baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid) react, they produce carbon dioxide gas, which is what caused the balloon to inflate. However, no new matter is created during this reaction. The chemical reaction simply rearranges the existing atoms in the substances involved. So, at the end of the reaction, the total mass should remain the same. It's just a case of gas taking up more space and making that balloon look quite "inflated" with confidence!
Based on the information provided, I would not agree with the student’s prediction that the chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda created brand new matter and would have more mass at the end of the reaction.
To understand why, let's look at the ingredients involved in the experiment - baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid). When these two substances are combined, a chemical reaction occurs producing carbon dioxide gas, water, and a salt called sodium acetate.
This reaction can be represented by the following equation:
sodium bicarbonate + acetic acid → carbon dioxide + water + sodium acetate
During the reaction, carbon dioxide gas is released and fills the bottle, causing the balloon to inflate. The increase in the size of the balloon might lead the student to believe that more mass has been created. However, this is not the case.
The law of conservation of mass states that in a closed system, the mass of the reactants is equal to the mass of the products. In this case, the mass of baking soda and vinegar before the reaction is equal to the mass of carbon dioxide, water, and sodium acetate produced after the reaction. The only change is the conversion of the reactants into new products, demonstrating a chemical change rather than the creation of brand new matter.
In conclusion, as per the law of conservation of mass, the total mass of the system (baking soda, vinegar, and the products of the reaction) will remain the same before and after the chemical reaction. Therefore, the student's prediction that the reaction created brand new matter and would have more mass at the end of the reaction is not accurate.
mass is conserved (neglecting heat involved), so no new matter
a chemical change converted some of the vinegar and soda to a gas.
read up on chemical reactions