The Law of Conservation of Mass: Understanding Mass in Chemistry

What is the importance of the Law of Conservation of Mass in Chemistry?

How does it relate to the reaction between sodium and chlorine?

Answer:

The Law of Conservation of Mass is crucial in chemistry as it states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. In the case of the reaction between sodium and chlorine, the total mass of the reactants must equal the total mass of the products.

The Law of Conservation of Mass:

The Law of Conservation of Mass is a fundamental principle in chemistry that states that the total mass of the reactants in a chemical reaction must equal the total mass of the products. This principle is based on the idea that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Relation to Sodium and Chlorine Reaction:

When Rango mixed 15.6 g of sodium with chlorine, the reaction produced 39.7 g of sodium chloride. According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, the mass of the reactants (sodium and chlorine) must equal the mass of the product (sodium chloride).

By applying this principle, we can calculate that 24.1 g of chlorine and 15.6 g of sodium reacted to produce 39.7 g of sodium chloride. This demonstrates the conservation of mass in action in this chemical reaction.