Students in physical science conducted the following experiment to demonstrate a common reaction, corrosion or rusting, while verifying the law of conservation of matter. students will: • use the following scientific process skills: observing and recording data, making inferences from observation; • recognize the signs of a chemical change; • understand and apply the law of conservation of matter; • use diagrams to illustrate the law of conservation of matter as it applies to a chemical change. procedure: 1. cut off a piece of steel wool and dip in vinegar. 2. wring out any excess vinegar. 3. describe the appearance of the steel wool. 4. place the steel wool into the flask and cover the opening of the flask with the balloon. 5. find the mass of the system (flask, steel wool, balloon) and record the mass in the data table. 6. allow the system to remain untouched for 24 hours then find the mass again. record. consider the statement in the prompt: the students will understand and apply the law of conservation of matter. how did the experimental design show that the students understood the concept of measuring conservation of matter during this experiment? a) the students carefully and accurately recorded the before and after data of the experiment. b) the students created an open system, allowing the steel wool to react with the oxygen from the outside environment. c) the students created a closed system by using the balloon to contain the reactants and then the products in the flask. eliminate d) the students measured the mass of both the reactants, including the flask and balloon, and the products using a beam balance.