At the start of the coal combustion experiment, the combined mass of the coal and oxygen reactants was 100 grams. At the end of the coal combustion
experiment
, the mass of the sample was 100 grams. Why does the scale
showing the mass at the end of the reaction give a mass of 100 grams, when
there is only a small amount of solid particles remaining on the scale?

explanation:

the largest database of organic compounds lists about 10 million substances, which include compounds originating from living organisms and those synthesized by chemists. the number of potential organic compounds has been estimated at 1060—an astronomically high number. the existence of so many organic molecules is a consequence of the ability of carbon atoms to form up to four strong bonds to other carbon atoms, resulting in chains and rings of many different sizes, shapes, and complexities. the simplest organic compounds contain only the elements carbon and hydrogen, and are called hydrocarbons. even though they are composed of only two types of atoms, there is a wide variety of hydrocarbons because they may consist of varying lengths of chains, branched chains, and rings of carbon atoms, or combinations of these structures. in addition, hydrocarbons may differ in the types of carbon-carbon bonds present in their molecules. many hydrocarbons are found in plants, animals, and their fossils; other hydrocarbons have been prepared in the laboratory. we use hydrocarbons every day, mainly as fuels, such as natural gas, acetylene, propane, butane, and the principal components of gasoline, diesel fuel, and heating oil. the familiar plastics polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene are also hydrocarbons. we can distinguish several types of hydrocarbons by differences in the bonding between carbon atoms. this leads to differences in geometries and in the hybridization of the carbon orbitals.

answer is: naturally occurring solid, inorganic compound or element is mineral.

minerals usually have crystalline form, that means than crystal constituents (atoms, molecules or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions.

for example magnetite is a mineral of iron oxide (fe₂o₃).

calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate (caco₃).

dolomite is an   carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate (camg(co₃)₂).