According to the law of conservation of mass, which statement is correct during a chemical reaction in a closed system?

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

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 within a closed system.
2. Understand that in a closed system, all atoms present in the reactants are simply rearranged to form the products, so the total number of atoms remains constant.
3. Recognize that because the number of atoms is conserved, the total mass of the reactants before the reaction must be equal to the total mass of the products after the reaction.
4. Evaluate the given statements by comparing them to the law: statements suggesting mass creation, destruction, or change in total mass contradict the law of conservation of mass.
5. Conclude that the correct statement is: 'The total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products,' as it aligns perfectly with the law of conservation of mass.