Which of the following is a statement of the law of conservation of mass?
Mass is created but not destroyed.
Mass is destroyed but not created.
Mass is neither created nor destroyed.
Mass is both created and destroyed, depending on the chemical reaction.

Mass is neither created nor destroyed. This fundamental principle of science means that in any closed system, the total mass remains constant, regardless of the processes happening within that system. Whether in a chemical reaction or a physical change, the amount of matter will always remain the same!

In practice, this law is crucial for chemists and engineers. For instance, when balancing chemical equations, they rely on the conservation of mass to ensure that reactants and products contain the same number of each type of atom. This principle helps in fields ranging from environmental science to pharmaceuticals, making sure that every molecule counts!