Which of the following best describes an implication of the law of conservation of mass for humans?

• A. Energy is always lost during chemical reactions, leading to a decrease in total mass.
• B. Chemical reactions in the human body can create new matter from nothing.
• C. Atoms can be converted into energy in everyday chemical reactions, changing the total mass.
• D. Matter cannot be created or destroyed, so the total mass of substances before and after a chemical reaction remains the same.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the law of conservation of mass: it states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, meaning the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products.
2. Apply this principle to humans by recognizing that all chemical reactions in the body involve rearrangement of atoms, but no atoms are lost or gained overall.
3. Evaluate the given options by checking if they align with the idea that mass remains constant during chemical reactions.
4. Eliminate options that suggest mass is lost, created from nothing, or converted into energy in everyday chemical reactions, as these contradict the law of conservation of mass.
5. Conclude that the best description is that matter cannot be created or destroyed, so the total mass before and after chemical reactions in the human body remains the same.