Which of the following is true regarding the atoms involved in a chemical reaction according to the Law of Conservation of Mass?

• A. New atoms are created during a chemical reaction.
• B. Atoms are destroyed during a chemical reaction.
• C. The mass of the products is always less than the mass of the reactants.
• D. The total number of atoms of each element remains unchanged before and after 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 atoms are the fundamental units of elements, and during a chemical reaction, atoms are rearranged but not created or destroyed.
3. Recognize that because atoms are neither created nor destroyed, the total number of atoms of each element must remain the same before and after the reaction.
4. Conclude that the mass of the products must be equal to the mass of the reactants, as mass is directly related to the number and type of atoms present.
5. Therefore, the correct statement is that the total number of atoms of each element remains unchanged before and after the reaction.