Question

reactants vs. products quick check
in a reaction, 1 mole of silver nitrate combines with 1 mole of sodium chloride.
agno₃ + nacl
which statement about the product is justified by the law of conservation of mass?
(1 point)
there will be five atoms in the product.
there will be 1 mole of silver (ag) in the product.
there will be 2 moles of sodium (na) in the product.
there will be two molecules in the product.

Explanation:

Step1: Write the balanced chemical equation

The reaction between silver nitrate ($AgNO_3$) and sodium chloride ($NaCl$) is a double - displacement reaction. The balanced chemical equation is $AgNO_3+NaCl = AgCl\downarrow+NaNO_3$.

Step2: Analyze the moles of atoms based on the law of conservation of mass

According to the law of conservation of mass, the number of atoms of each element in the reactants is equal to the number of atoms of each element in the products.

• For silver ($Ag$): In the reactant $AgNO_3$, there is 1 mole of $Ag$. In the product $AgCl$, there is also 1 mole of $Ag$.
• For sodium ($Na$): In the reactant $NaCl$, there is 1 mole of $Na$. In the product $NaNO_3$, there is 1 mole of $Na$.
• For the statement “There will be five atoms in the product”: Counting atoms in a general sense without proper stoichiometric relation to the reactants is not in line with the law of conservation of mass application here.
• For the statement “There will be 2 moles of sodium ($Na$) in the product”: From the balanced equation, there is 1 mole of $Na$ in the product (in $NaNO_3$), so this is incorrect.
• For the statement “There will be two molecules in the product”: The number of molecules is not directly related to the law of conservation of mass in the way presented here. The law of conservation of mass focuses on the conservation of atoms (or moles of atoms) of each element.

Answer:

There will be 1 mole of silver ($Ag$) in the product.