Final answer:
In the reaction presented, the total mass of the reactants (sodium carbonate and acetic acid) was 11.3 grams, which was equal to the total mass of the products (sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water), also 11.3 grams, thus confirming the law of conservation of mass.
Step-by-step explanation:
The law of conservation of mass states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. To demonstrate this with the reaction given, where sodium carbonate reacts with acetic acid to produce sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water, we shall look at the masses of both reactants and products.
The total mass of reactants is the sum of sodium carbonate and acetic acid, which equals 5.3 g + 6 g = 11.3 g. The total mass of products is the sum of sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water, which is 8.2 g + 2.2 g + 0.9 g = 11.3 g. Hence, the mass of reactants equals the mass of products, verifying the law of conservation of mass.
These calculations clearly show that the reaction between sodium carbonate and acetic acid adheres to this fundamental chemical law. No extra matter appeared or vanished; the reactants simply turned into different substances. This is further proven in similar reactions depicted within the context of chemistry, such as the reaction of sodium carbonate with hydrochloric acid or the thermal decomposition of calcium carbonate.