All the chemical reactions follow the <u>rule of conservation of matter</u>. This rule states that matter can neither be created nor be destroyed during a chemical reaction. The number and type of atoms on the left hand side of a chemical reaction will be same on the right hand side of that chemical reaction. The atoms of chemical species/substances on the left hand side represent reactants while on the right hand side represent products. The only difference is that these atoms get rearranged when the products are formed.