Final answer:
The mass of magnesium that will react with 16.0 grams of oxygen to produce 40.3 grams of magnesium oxide, according to the Law of Conservation of Matter, is 24.3 grams.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the Law of Conservation of Matter, the mass of magnesium that will react with 16.0 grams of oxygen to produce 40.3 grams of magnesium oxide can be predicted. According to this law, matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction, meaning the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products.
Since we know that the mass of magnesium oxide produced is 40.3 grams and the mass of oxygen is 16.0 grams, we can find the mass of magnesium by subtracting the mass of oxygen from the mass of magnesium oxide:
Mass of magnesium = Mass of magnesium oxide - Mass of oxygen = 40.3 g - 16.0 g = 24.3 g
The mass of magnesium that will react with 16.0 grams of oxygen to produce 40.3 grams of magnesium oxide is 24.3 grams (Option A).