Final answer:
The total combined mass of the products in a chemical reaction is always equal to the mass of the reactants, in accordance with the law of conservation of mass.
Step-by-step explanation:
The total combined mass of carbon dioxide and water that is produced from a chemical reaction is equal to the initial mass of reactants. This is a direct consequence of the law of conservation of mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system through chemical reactions.
For example, if we start with 10.0 g of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and this reacts to produce 4.4 g of carbon dioxide (CO2) and 5.6 g of calcium oxide (CaO), the total mass of the products will also add up to 10.0 g, showing that the mass is conserved.
In practical terms, this means that the correct answer to the question would be A) Equal to the initial mass of reactants.