Question

your science teacher lit a wax candle, asked students to carefully observe it and record their observations. then, she asked students to construct an explanation of what they observed based on conservation of mass and matter. which explanation is accurate?
oa the amount of wax before the reaction equals the amount of energy afterwards.
ob the mass of the wick before the reaction equals the mass of the smoke afterwards.
oc the mass of the wick, the wax that burned, and the oxygen consumed in the reaction equals the mass of the candle, the burned wick, and the mass of the smoke and the gases released during the reaction.
od the mass of the wick, the wax that burned, and the oxygen that helped the flame before the reaction equals the mass of the smoke and the gases released after the reaction.

Explanation:

The law of conservation of mass states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. In the case of a wax - candle burning, the mass of the reactants (wick, wax that burned, and oxygen) must equal the mass of the products (smoke and gases released). Option A is incorrect because mass and energy are different concepts in this context (mass conservation is about matter, not energy - mass equivalence in a simple chemical reaction sense). Option B only considers the wick and smoke, ignoring oxygen and other products. Option C is incorrect as it has an incorrect combination of reactants and products. Option D correctly accounts for all reactants (wick, wax burned, oxygen) and products (smoke and gases released) in accordance with the law of conservation of mass.

Answer:

D. The mass of the wick, the wax that burned, and the oxygen that helped the flame before the reaction equals the mass of the smoke and the gases released after the reaction.