How does a balanced chemical equation demonstrate the law of conservation of mass
A balanced chemical equation demonstrates the law of conservation of mass because it shows that the total mass of the reactants (substances on the left side of the equation) is equal to the total mass of the products (substances on the right side of the equation). In other words, the mass of the substances before a chemical reaction is equal to the mass after the reaction.
This conservation of mass is represented in a balanced chemical equation by ensuring that the same number and types of atoms are present on both sides. This is achieved by adjusting the coefficients (numbers in front of the chemical formulas) to balance the equation.
For example, consider the reaction of hydrogen gas (H2) with oxygen gas (O2) to form water (H2O):
2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O
In this balanced equation, there are 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms on both sides. This demonstrates the conservation of mass, as the total mass of the reactants (hydrogen gas and oxygen gas) is equal to the total mass of the products (water).