Use the chemical reaction to complete the activity
2Fe2O3 + 3C → 4Fe + 3CO2
In three to four sentences, identify the reactants, and products in the chemical reaction, and elaborate on how balancing the chemical equation supports the Law of Conservation of Mass.
In this chemical reaction, the reactants are 2 moles of iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) and 3 moles of carbon (C). The products obtained from this reaction are 4 moles of iron (Fe) and 3 moles of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Balancing the chemical equation is essential to ensure that the number of each type of atom on both sides of the equation is the same. This supports the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. The balanced equation shows that the total number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation, ensuring the conservation of mass.