Which of the following statements best describes the term 'mass' in the context of the Law of Conservation of Mass?

• A. Mass refers to the volume occupied by a material.
• B. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object.
• C. Mass is the force exerted by an object due to gravity.
• D. Mass is the energy contained within a substance.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
2. Step 2: Recognize that 'mass' in this context refers to a fundamental property of matter that quantifies how much matter is present in an object or substance.
3. Step 3: Differentiate mass from volume, which measures the space an object occupies, and from weight, which is the force due to gravity acting on mass.
4. Step 4: Note that mass is not related to energy content directly, although mass and energy are related in physics, but this is beyond the scope of the Law of Conservation of Mass in chemistry.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of mass here is that it is a measure of the amount of matter in an object.