According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, what happens to matter during a chemical reaction?

• A. Matter is destroyed during the reaction.
• B. Matter is converted entirely into energy.
• C. Matter is neither created nor destroyed; it is simply rearranged.
• D. Some matter disappears while new matter is formed.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that in a chemical reaction, the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products.
2. Recognize that this law implies matter cannot be created or destroyed during a chemical reaction.
3. Know that during a chemical reaction, atoms are rearranged to form new substances, but the total number of atoms remains constant.
4. Realize that the mass of all substances before the reaction must be equal to the mass of all substances after the reaction.
5. Conclude that matter is neither created nor destroyed; it is simply rearranged during a chemical reaction.