Chemical equations must be balanced because:
a
mass can neither be created nor destroyed.
b
the mass of the reactants is always greater than the mass of the products.
c
the mass of the products is always greater than the mass of the reactants.
d
mass is determined by a chemical reaction.
a
mass can neither be created nor destroyed.
The correct answer is option a) mass can neither be created nor destroyed.
Chemical equations must be balanced because of the law of conservation of mass, which states that the total mass of the reactants must be equal to the total mass of the products in a chemical reaction. This law is based on the principle that mass can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be converted from one form to another.
When a chemical reaction occurs, the atoms present in the reactants rearrange to form new compounds as products. The number of atoms of each element on the reactant side must be equal to the number of atoms of the same element on the product side. Therefore, balancing the chemical equation ensures that the same number and type of atoms are present on both sides of the equation, obeying the law of conservation of mass.
To balance a chemical equation, you need to adjust the coefficients (numbers in front of compounds or elements) in the equation. By changing these coefficients, you can ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. This process requires careful analysis of the chemical formula and calculating the number of atoms for each element present in the compounds involved.
Overall, balancing chemical equations is crucial because it ensures that mass is conserved during a chemical reaction, and it allows us to accurately represent the chemical changes that occur.
The correct answer is a) mass can neither be created nor destroyed.
Chemical equations must be balanced because of the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. This means that the mass of the reactants must be equal to the mass of the products. By balancing the equation, we ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation, thus conserving mass.