A student carefully measures 12.50 g of reactants and performs a chemical reaction. While collecting the products, they knock over their reaction flask. The final mass measured for their products is 10.62 g. Did this student break the law of conservation of mass? Why or why not?
No.Law of conservation of mass is a fundamental law of science and it can not be violated.Chemical reaction always follow law of conservation of mass.so the mass of reactants should always be equal to the mass of product formed.But in many chemical reactions the side product may be a gas which leaves the reaction vessel if it is not carried out in a closed vessel. So the mass of product will be always less than the mass of reactants.
Hence may be in this case some by product which is a gas have left the flask .
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