Final answer:
The true statement based on the law of conservation of energy is that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only converted from one form to another; this is a principle of the first law of thermodynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the law of conservation of energy, the correct statement is 'a. Energy cannot be created or destroyed by ordinary chemical or physical means.' This principle is fundamental in physics and is also known as the first law of thermodynamics. It states that energy can be converted from one form to another, but the total amount of energy remains constant within a closed system. This applies universally to all chemical or physical changes.