Final answer:
The question involves the chemistry concept of the law of conservation of mass, which states that in a chemical reaction, the mass of the reactants equals the mass of the products. Examples provided show calculations confirming this law with the decomposition of calcium carbonate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question requires an understanding of the law of conservation of mass in chemical reactions, specifically involving the decomposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). According to the law of conservation of mass, the mass of the reactants should equal the mass of the products in a chemical reaction.
This principle is illustrated by the given examples, such as heating 10.0 grams of calcium carbonate to produce 4.4 g of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and 5.6 g of calcium oxide (CaO), where the total mass remains at 10.0 grams.
To further demonstrate this concept, if you start with a sample of 751 grams of CaCO3, and it decomposes, the total mass of CO₂ and CaO produced would also be 751 grams.
This is because in a closed system with no mass entering or leaving, the mass of the products must be equal to the mass of the reactants. The only change that occurs is a rearrangement of atoms to form new substances.