A student combines two liquids in a break. She observes that the mass of the combined liquids 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?
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
The combined liquid was warmer than the two separate liquids.
The reaction did not change the physical properties of the liquids.
The product contained fewer atoms than the reactants.
The reaction produced a gas that escaped the beaker.
Explanation: When a gas is produced and escapes, the mass of the gas is not accounted for in the combined mass of the liquids. Therefore, the apparent loss of mass is due to the escape of the gas, not a violation of the law of conservation of matter in chemical reactions.