Final answer:
The law of conservation of mass indicates that during a chemical reaction, the mass of the reactants is equal to the mass of the products, demonstrating that mass is conserved, not created or destroyed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The law of conservation of mass states that in any chemical reaction, the mass of the substances that react, which are the reactants, equals the mass of the products that are formed. In other words, the mass of the reactants in a chemical reaction is exactly equal to the mass of the products. This principle implies that mass is neither created nor destroyed in the process of a chemical reaction.
For example, if charcoal is burned in oxygen, the mass of the charcoal and oxygen before the reaction must equal the mass of the carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ash that are produced as a result of the combustion. This conservation of mass is a foundational principle of modern chemistry, emphasizing the convertibility of matter but not its creation or destruction within a given system.