Chemical equations must be balanced because
a
the mass of the reactants is always greater than the mass of the products.
b
the mass of the products is always greater than the mass of the reactants.
c
mass is determined by a chemical reaction.
d
mass can neither be created nor destroyed.
d
mass can neither be created nor destroyed.
d
mass can neither be created nor destroyed.
The correct answer is d) 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 conserved in a chemical reaction. This means that the total mass of the reactants must be equal to the total mass of the products.
When a chemical reaction occurs, the atoms in the reactants rearrange to form new molecules in the products. However, no atoms are created or destroyed in the process. This means that the total number of each type of atom must be the same on both sides of the equation.
To balance a chemical equation, you need to adjust the coefficients (numbers in front of the reactants and products) to ensure that the number of each type of atom is equal on both sides. This ensures that mass is conserved.
By following the law of conservation of mass, balancing chemical equations helps us accurately represent the chemical reactions that occur in a system.