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.
I would not agree with the student's prediction. The chemical reaction between vinegar (acetic acid) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) produces carbon dioxide gas, which inflates the balloon. The molecules of the reactants rearrange themselves to form new products, but the total amount of matter remains the same before and after the reaction. This is known as the law of conservation of mass.
Therefore, even though the balloon inflated and the overall appearance of the reaction changed, the total mass of the system (vinegar, baking soda, and the released carbon dioxide gas) will remain constant. So, there is no creation of brand new matter in this chemical reaction.