What is conserved in a chemical reaction?

In a chemical reaction, certain quantities remain constant and are known as conserved quantities. These quantities include mass, energy, and charge.

1. Law of Conservation of Mass: In a chemical reaction, the total mass of the reactants must equal the total mass of the products. This means that no atoms are created or destroyed during a chemical reaction, they are merely rearranged.

2. Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy is also conserved in a chemical reaction, meaning that the total energy of the reactants is equal to the total energy of the products. This includes both potential and kinetic energy.

3. Conservation of Charge: In a chemical reaction involving ionization or electron transfer, the total charge of the system remains constant. This means that the number of positive and negative charges must balance out before and after the reaction.

Overall, the concept of conservation in a chemical reaction is important because it helps to ensure that basic laws of physics are followed. It also allows for the prediction and understanding of the behavior of chemical reactions.