Answer: The total mass of hydrochloric acid used is less than 10 grams.
Explanation:
According to the law of conservation of mass, mass can neither be created nor be destroyed. Thus the mass of products has to be equal to the mass of reactants. The number of atoms of each element has to be same on reactant and product side. Thus chemical equations are balanced.
Given: mass of sodium hydroxide = 10 g
Mass of products = Mass of sodium chloride + mass of water = 29 grams
Thus mass of reactant = mass of hydrochloric acid + mass of sodium hydroxide= 29 g
Mass of hydrochloric acid + 10 g = 19 g
Mass of hydrochloric acid = 9 g
Thus the total mass of hydrochloric acid used is less than 10 grams.