Question

Reaction A: C (s) + O2 (g) → CO2 (g)Does this equation obey the law of conservation of mass?

Answer 1

So,

Let's first remember that:

All chemical equations must be balanced because matter cannot be created or destroyed in chemical reactions. When a reaction is balanced, the number of atoms of the elements in the reaction should be the same before and after it occurs.

As you can see, the given reaction is:

`C_((s))+O_(2(g))\to CO_(2(g))`

We have the following information:

- Before the reaction occurs, there are 1 atom of Carbon and 2 atoms of Oxygen.

- After the reaction occurs, there are atom of Carbon and 2 atoms of Oxygen.

As you can notice, the number of atoms of each element before and after the reaction occurs is the same. Thus, the equation obey the law of conservation of mass.