A student combines two liquids in a beaker. She observes that the mass of the combined liquid is less than the mass of the two separate liquids. The student claims that this observation shows that matter is not conserved in chemical reactions. Which statement explains why the student’s claim is incorrect?(1 point)
Responses
The reaction did not change the physical properties of the liquids.
The reaction did not change the physical properties of the liquids.
The product contained fewer atoms than the reactants.
The product contained fewer atoms than the reactants.
The combined liquid was warmer than the two separate liquids.
The combined liquid was warmer than the two separate liquids.
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
The correct statement that explains why the student's claim is incorrect is: "The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker."
When two liquids are combined and the mass of the resulting liquid is less than the mass of the two separate liquids, it is likely because a gas was produced during the reaction and escaped from the beaker. The mass of the gas is not accounted for in the total mass of the combined liquid. Therefore, matter is still conserved in chemical reactions as the total mass of the reactants is equal to the total mass of the products, taking into account any mass lost due to the escape of a gas.