Law of Conservation of Mass

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What is the Law of Conservation of Mass?

Back

The Law of Conservation of Mass states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. The total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.

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What does it mean to balance a chemical equation?

Back

Balancing a chemical equation means ensuring that the number of atoms for each element is the same on both sides of the equation.

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What are reactants in a chemical equation?

Back

Reactants are the substances that undergo a chemical change in a reaction, found on the left side of the equation.

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What are products in a chemical equation?

Back

Products are the substances formed as a result of a chemical reaction, found on the right side of the equation.

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What do coefficients in a chemical equation represent?

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Coefficients are the big numbers in front of molecules that indicate how many molecules of that substance are involved in the reaction.

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What do subscripts in a chemical formula indicate?

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Subscripts indicate the number of atoms of each element in a molecule.

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How do you determine the number of atoms in a compound?

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To determine the number of atoms in a compound, add the subscripts for each element. For example, in Ca(OH)2, there are 1 Calcium, 2 Oxygen, and 2 Hydrogen atoms.

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What is the significance of the arrow in a chemical equation?

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The arrow in a chemical equation indicates the direction of the reaction, pointing from reactants to products.

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What happens to the mass of reactants during a chemical reaction?

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The mass of the reactants remains the same before and after the reaction, according to the Law of Conservation of Mass.

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Can you change subscripts to balance a chemical equation?

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No, you should only change coefficients to balance a chemical equation, not subscripts.