3. A student was adding baking soda and vinegar in a bottle to conduct an experiment. They then put a balloon on top of the bottle immediately after adding them together. The student observed that the balloon inflated and got larger. The student then predicted that the chemical reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda had created brand new matter, and would have more mass at the end of the reaction. Would you agree with the student’s prediction or not? Explain your answer.

Question

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Answer 1

I would not agree with the student's prediction that new matter was created during the chemical reaction between the vinegar and baking soda. In a chemical reaction, the mass of the reactants should be equal to the mass of the products. In this case, the balloon inflated because carbon dioxide gas was produced in the reaction, which caused the balloon to expand. Therefore, the total mass of the system (baking soda, vinegar, and air inside the balloon) before and after the reaction should remain the same. So, while the appearance of the system might have changed, no new matter was created during the reaction.