How theaw of conservation of mass applies to all chemical reactions

The law of conservation of mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, only rearranged. This means that the total mass of the reactants must equal the total mass of the products in a chemical reaction.

In other words, the total number of atoms of each element involved in the reaction must remain constant before and after the reaction. This applies to all chemical reactions, whether they are combustion reactions, synthesis reactions, decomposition reactions, or any other type of chemical reaction.

For example, in a combustion reaction where methane (CH4) reacts with oxygen (O2) to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O), the total mass of methane and oxygen before the reaction must equal the total mass of carbon dioxide and water after the reaction. The atoms of each element will simply be rearranged to form the new compounds, but no atoms are lost or gained in the process.

Overall, the law of conservation of mass is a fundamental principle in chemistry that governs all chemical reactions and ensures that matter is conserved throughout the reaction process.