Supposed to atoms of carbon react with 20 atoms of oxygen to form 10 molecules of carbon dioxide, according to the law of conservation of matter how many atoms are present in this reaction?
A. 30
B. 15
C. 20
D. 10
A. 30
The law of conservation of matter states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction. Therefore, the total number of atoms present before and after the reaction must be the same.
If 2 atoms of carbon react with 2 atoms of oxygen to form 1 molecule of carbon dioxide, then 10 molecules of carbon dioxide would require 10 x 2 = 20 atoms of carbon and 10 x 2 = 20 atoms of oxygen.
Thus, the total number of atoms present in this reaction would be 20 carbon atoms + 20 oxygen atoms = 30 atoms in total.