Which of the following best explains the statement 'mass is conserved during a chemical reaction'?

• A. The mass of the products is always greater than the mass of the reactants.
• B. The mass of the reactants is always less than the mass of the products.
• C. Mass can be created or destroyed during a chemical reaction.
• D. The total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.
2. Recognize that during a chemical reaction, atoms are rearranged but the total number of atoms remains the same.
3. Therefore, the total mass of all reactants before the reaction must be equal to the total mass of all products after the reaction.
4. Evaluate the given options by comparing them to this principle: the mass of reactants and products should be equal, not greater or less.
5. Conclude that the correct explanation is that the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products, reflecting the conservation of mass.