How does a balanced chemical equation satisfy the Law of Conservation of Mass?

• A. The Total Amount of Matter Stays the Same.
• B. During a Chemical Reaction, Matter is Destroyed.
• C. During a Chemical Reaction, One or More New Substances Are Formed.
• D. During a Chemical Reaction, The Total Number of Atoms Increase.

Answer: (C)

Balanced chemical equations show mass is conserved by counting atoms on both sides and making them equal. In a chemical change, atoms are rearranged to form new substances, but they aren’t created or destroyed, so the total mass before the reaction equals the total mass after. When an equation is balanced, the same number of each type of atom sits on the left and the right, and because each atom has a specific mass, the overall mass remains the same. The idea that matter is destroyed or that atoms mysteriously increase would break this rule, while forming new substances is compatible with mass conservation as long as the total mass of reactants matches the total mass of products.