Which word best describes the statement that mass is neither made nor destroyed by chemical reactions or physical changes?
The word that best describes the statement that mass is neither made nor destroyed by chemical reactions or physical changes is conservation.
To understand why, we need to look into the concept of mass conservation. According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, the total mass of an isolated system remains constant before and after any physical or chemical changes. This means that in a closed system, mass cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be rearranged or converted into different forms.
When a chemical reaction occurs, atoms are rearranged, and chemical bonds are broken and formed. However, the total number of atoms, and thus the total mass, remains the same. Similarly, in physical changes like melting, freezing, or boiling, the substance may change its state, but the overall mass remains constant.
So, the word "conservation" accurately reflects the idea that mass is not created or destroyed in chemical reactions or physical changes.