Final answer:
The best description for the law of conservation of mass is that mass is not created or destroyed in a chemical reaction but can be rearranged. This principle, foundational to chemistry, was introduced by Antoine Lavoisier and is confirmed by stoichiometry and accurate mass measurements of reactants and products.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks which statement best describes the law of conservation of mass. The correct answer is that mass is not created or destroyed, though it can be rearranged in a chemical reaction. This law, established by Antoine Lavoisier in 1789, is a fundamental principle in chemistry that states matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction. Instead, the atoms that make up the reactants simply rearrange to form the products, with the mass remaining constant throughout this process. Accurate measurements have shown that the total atomic mass of reactants equals the total atomic mass of products, reinforcing this principle.
An easy way to remember this concept is to think about chemical reactions as the rearrangement of building blocks. While you might change the structure you build, the total number of blocks (mass) you have remains the same – none are created or lost in the process. Stoichiometry, which involves the measurement of elements involved in chemical reactions, relies heavily on the conservation of mass to predict and analyze the outcomes of chemical reactions.