Which of the following statements best describes the Law of Conservation of Mass?

• A. The mass of the products is always greater than the mass of the reactants.
• B. The total energy of a system remains constant during a chemical reaction.
• C. Atoms can be converted into energy during ordinary chemical reactions.
• D. Mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the Law of Conservation of Mass states that in a chemical reaction, matter is neither created nor destroyed.
2. Recognize that this means the total mass of the reactants before the reaction must equal the total mass of the products after the reaction.
3. Note that this law applies to ordinary chemical reactions and does not imply that mass can be converted into energy or vice versa.
4. Distinguish this law from the conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can change forms.
5. Therefore, the best description of the Law of Conservation of Mass is: 'Mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.'