1·7 g of silver nitrate is dissolved in 100 g of water, and 0.585 g of sodium chloride is dissolved in 100 g of water. Both are mixed and a chemical reaction occurs.
1.435 g of silver chloride and 0.85 g of sodium nitrate are formed. Which law of chemical combination is shown by the above reaction?

The Law of Conservation of Mass, formulated by Antoine Lavoisier, states that mass is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. Consequently, the total mass of the reactants must equal the total mass of the products.

In this experiment:
Total mass of reactants = Mass of silver nitrate + Mass of sodium chloride = 1.7 g + 0.585 g = 2.285 g.
Total mass of products = Mass of silver chloride + Mass of sodium nitrate = 1.435 g + 0.85 g = 2.285 g.

Since the total mass of the substances before the reaction (2.285 g) is exactly equal to the total mass of the substances after the reaction (2.285 g), the Law of Conservation of Mass is verified. The other laws (multiple, reciprocal, and constant proportions) describe the weight ratios of elements within compounds rather than the conservation of total matter during a reaction.