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 reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
The combined liquid was warmer than the two separate liquids.
The combined liquid was warmer than the two separate liquids.
The product contained fewer atoms than the reactants.
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
This statement explains why the student's claim is incorrect because, according to the law of conservation of mass, matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. If the mass of the combined liquid is less than the mass of the separate liquids, it is likely that a gas was produced during the reaction and escaped the beaker. This would account for the loss in mass without violating the law of conservation of mass.