Which statement best explains why mass is not conserved in a nuclear change?
A. Some of the atoms are lost in the reaction.
B. Some of the products have less mass than the reactants.
C. Some of the reactants are not used.
D. Some of the matter is converted to energy.
D. Some of the matter is converted to energy.
D. Some of the matter is converted to energy.
The correct answer is D. Some of the matter is converted to energy.
In nuclear changes, such as nuclear fission or fusion, the nucleus of an atom undergoes a change, leading to the formation of new atoms and the release of a significant amount of energy. In these processes, the conversion of matter into energy occurs according to Einstein's famous equation, E=mc^2, where E represents energy, m represents mass, and c represents the speed of light.
During a nuclear change, a small fraction of the mass of the original atoms is transformed into a large amount of energy. The released energy is the result of the difference in mass between the initial atoms and the resulting atoms after the nuclear change. Since energy is equivalent to mass, when the mass is converted into energy, it appears as if some mass is lost in the reaction.
It is important to note that although mass is not conserved in a nuclear change, the total energy before and after the reaction remains constant, following the principle of conservation of energy.