The law of conservation of mass

Subscript

(of a letter, figure, or symbol) written or printed below the line

Chemical reaction

a process that involves rearrangement of the molecular or ionic structure of a substance, as opposed to a change in physical form or a nuclear reaction.

Diatomic

consisting of two atoms.

Chemical equation

A chemical equation is the symbolic representation of a chemical reaction in the form of symbols and formulae, wherein the reactant entities are given on the left-hand side and the product entities on the right-hand side.

Covalent bond

A covalent bond, also called a molecular bond, is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs, and the stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms, when they share electrons, is known as covalent bonding.

Balanced chemical equation

The chemical equation needs to be balanced so that it follows the law of conservation of mass. A balanced chemical equation occurs when the number of the different atoms of elements in the reactants side is equal to that of the products side. Balancing chemical equations is a process of trial and error.

The law of conservation of mass

The law of conservation of mass states that mass in an isolated system is neither created nor destroyed by chemical reactions or physical transformations. According to the law of conservation of mass, the mass of the products in a chemical reaction must equal the mass of the reactants.

Chemical formula

a mathematical relationship or rule expressed in symbols.

Coefficient

a multiplier or factor that measures some property.

Element

a part or aspect of something abstract, especially one that is essential or characteristic.

Reactants

a substance that takes part in and undergoes change during a reaction.

Products

an article or substance that is manufactured or refined for sale.

Atom

the basic unit of a chemical element