How do balanced chemical equations relate to the law of conservation of mass?

Question

Wyatt Adkins · Accepted Answer

Chemical reactions involve the rearrangement of atoms, entities of definite mass. Chemical equations represent these reactions.

Therefore, if I begin with 10 g of reactant (from all sources), I can, at most, obtain 10 g of product; however, in actuality, I rarely get even that. Similarly, I can obtain 44 g of carbon dioxide if I burn 12 g of carbon in the presence of 32 g of oxygen AT MOST. This can be expressed using a straightforward chemical equation that implicitly includes equivalent masses: #C(s) + O_2(g) rarr CO_2(g)# Since mass is conserved in all chemical reactions (because every atom and molecule has a specific mass), is mass also conserved in all nuclear reactions?

Avery Adams · Answer

undefined Balanced chemical equations illustrate the conservation of mass, as they ensure that the total mass of reactants equals the total mass of products. This aligns with the law of conservation of mass, which states that mass cannot be created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, only rearranged. Therefore, in a balanced chemical equation, the number of atoms of each element on the reactant side must equal the number of atoms of the same element on the product side, preserving mass.