Question

Which statement below best describes what happens to atoms during a chemical reaction?

A) The original atoms from the reactants can turn into different types of atoms in the products.
B) The original atoms from the reactants rearrange to create the products.
C) Some of the original atoms from the reactants may disappear when the products are made.

Answer 1

The correct description of what happens to atoms during a chemical reaction is that the atoms from the reactants are rearranged to form the products, in accordance with the law of conservation of mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that best describes what happens to atoms during a chemical reaction is: B) The original atoms from the reactants rearrange to create the products. During a chemical reaction, the chemical compounds may be broken up and new ones may form, but the atoms themselves do not turn into different types of atoms, nor do they disappear. Atoms are neither created nor destroyed; they are simply reorganized into different arrangements to create the products. This concept adheres to the law of conservation of mass, which is fundamental in chemistry.