Explanation:
Given parameters:
Mass of sample X = 15.5g
Mass of sample Y = 42.5g
Unknown:
Mass of reactant and product = ?
Solution:
We can solve this problem by applying the law of conservation of mass. The law states that "in a chemical reaction, matter is neither created nor destroyed but changed from one form to another".
We expect that the sum of the mass of the reactant will be equal to that of the product;
Mass of reactant = mass of X + mass of Y = 15.5g + 42.5g = 58g
So, mass of XY₃ = 58g