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 product contained fewer atoms than the reactants.
The product contained fewer atoms than the reactants.
The reaction did not change the physical properties of the liquids.
The reaction did not change the physical properties of the liquids.
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 correct statement that explains why the student's claim is incorrect is: 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."
Explanation:
When two liquids are combined and the mass of the combined liquid is less than the mass of the two separate liquids, it indicates that a gas was produced and escaped the beaker. Gas has mass, so when it escapes, it decreases the overall mass of the combined liquid. This phenomenon does not imply that matter is not conserved in chemical reactions. Matter is always conserved in chemical reactions, which means that the total number of atoms before and after the reaction remains the same. In this case, the gas that escaped caused the decrease in mass, but the number of atoms in the reactants and the product would still be the same. Therefore, the student's claim is incorrect.