Which statement is true regarding a chemical reaction?
(1 point)
Even if the total number of atoms does
not change, mass may not be conserved
in the reaction.
The total number of atoms changes, so
mass is conserved in the reaction.
Even if the total number of atoms
changes, mass may not be conserved in
the reaction.
The total number of atoms does not
change, so mass is conserved in the
reaction.
Even if the total number of atoms does not change, mass may not be conserved in the reaction.
The correct answer is: Even if the total number of atoms does not change, mass may not be conserved in the reaction.
To understand why this is true, we need to review the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. This means that the total mass of the reactants should be equal to the total mass of the products.
In some chemical reactions, the total number of atoms does not change. However, even if the number of atoms remains the same, the mass may not be conserved if there is a change in the arrangement or structure of the atoms. For example, if a solid reactant becomes a gas, the mass in the gas phase will be different from the mass in the solid phase, even though the number of atoms remains constant. Therefore, mass conservation cannot be solely determined by the number of atoms involved in the reaction.