According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, what happens to the total mass of the atoms involved in a chemical reaction?

• A. The total mass increases as new atoms are created.
• B. The total mass decreases because some atoms are destroyed.
• C. The total mass fluctuates depending on the type of reaction.
• D. The total mass remains unchanged throughout the reaction.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction.
2. Understand that during a chemical reaction, atoms are rearranged to form new substances, but the total number of atoms remains the same.
3. Recognize that since atoms are neither created nor destroyed, the total mass of all atoms before the reaction must equal the total mass after the reaction.
4. Express this concept mathematically as: \(\text{Mass}_{\text{reactants}} = \text{Mass}_{\text{products}}\).
5. Conclude that the total mass remains unchanged throughout the reaction, regardless of the type of chemical reaction occurring.