In an experiment, mixing baking soda and vinegar produced a combination of salty liquid and carbon dioxide as shown in the following graph. What was the combined mass of the baking soda and vinegar before mixing?
also the graph is 45 grams of salty liquid and 10 grams of carbon dioxide
the responses to the question are
450 grams 450 grams 55 grams 55 grams 35 grams 35 grams 45 grams
To determine the combined mass of the baking soda and vinegar before the reaction, we don't actually need to look at the specific reaction or even consider the identity of the products (salty liquid and carbon dioxide). This is because the Law of Conservation of Mass states that during a chemical reaction, matter is neither created nor destroyed. Thus, the total mass of the reactants before the reaction must equal the total mass of the products after the reaction.
Given that the graph shows 45 grams of salty liquid and 10 grams of carbon dioxide, we simply add these masses to find the total mass after the reaction:
45 grams (salty liquid) + 10 grams (carbon dioxide) = 55 grams (total mass after reaction)
Therefore, the combined mass of the baking soda and vinegar before mixing must also have been 55 grams, since the mass is conserved. So, the correct answer is:
55 grams