Final answer:
The balanced chemical equation for the decomposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) into calcium oxide (CaO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is: CaCO3(s) → CaO(s) + CO2(g). The reaction validates the law of conservation of mass since the mass of the reactants equals the mass of the products.
Step-by-step explanation:
The balanced equation for the decomposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) into calcium oxide (CaO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is:
CaCO3(s) → CaO(s) + CO2(g)
This reaction demonstrates the law of conservation of mass, which states that the mass of the reactants equals the mass of the products. As per your data, 7.2 g of calcium carbonate decomposes to produce 4.4 g of calcium oxide. If we assume that the reaction is complete and all carbon dioxide has escaped, then the missing mass would be attributed to the carbon dioxide that was produced and has escaped into the atmosphere. This is verified by the given information that 10.0 g of calcium carbonate yields 5.6 g of calcium oxide and 4.4 g of carbon dioxide, totaling the original mass (10.0 g) of reactant.