{"id":1014,"date":"2020-09-16T10:26:38","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T10:26:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/?p=1014"},"modified":"2020-09-16T10:26:38","modified_gmt":"2020-09-16T10:26:38","slug":"daltons-atomic-theory-origin-its-merits-and-its-shortcomings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/daltons-atomic-theory-origin-its-merits-and-its-shortcomings\/","title":{"rendered":"Dalton&#8217;s Atomic Theory: Origin, Its Merits, and Its Shortcomings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Towards the end of the 18th century, two different laws were put forward to explain chemical reactions. The first law was the law of definite proportions, which stated that all chemical compounds feature their component elements in fixed ratios by mass. The second law was the law of conservation of mass (also known as the principle of mass conservation), which stated that for any closed system involving mass and energy transfers, the mass of the system must remain constant. In other words, mass can neither be created nor destroyed.<\/p><div class=\"dthwn64a37eaa83034\" ><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8209967072221559\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"2673331731\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.dthwn64a37eaa83034 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.dthwn64a37eaa83034 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.dthwn64a37eaa83034 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.dthwn64a37eaa83034 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.dthwn64a37eaa83034 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The law of conservation of mass is believed to have been developed by the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier. The law of definite proportions was put forward by the French chemist Joseph Proust. It can also be noted that the law of definite proportions is also called Proust\u2019s law or the law of constant proportions. The English chemist John Dalton studied both these theories and expanded the concept by putting forward his atomic theory, commonly referred to as <a href=\"https:\/\/byjus.com\/chemistry\/daltons-atomic-theory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Dalton\u2019s atomic theory<\/strong><\/a>. Dalton theorized that matter was made up of small, indivisible units that he called \u2018atoms\u2019.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_were_the_Postulates_of_Dalton%E2%80%99s_Atomic_Theory\"><\/span>What were the Postulates of Dalton\u2019s Atomic Theory?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_50 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\" role=\"button\"><label for=\"item-64a37eaa85f07\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><input  type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item-64a37eaa85f07\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/daltons-atomic-theory-origin-its-merits-and-its-shortcomings\/#What_were_the_Postulates_of_Dalton%E2%80%99s_Atomic_Theory\" title=\"What were the Postulates of Dalton\u2019s Atomic Theory?\">What were the Postulates of Dalton\u2019s Atomic Theory?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/daltons-atomic-theory-origin-its-merits-and-its-shortcomings\/#What_are_the_Merits_of_Dalton%E2%80%99s_Atomic_Theory\" title=\"What are the Merits of Dalton\u2019s Atomic Theory?\">What are the Merits of Dalton\u2019s Atomic Theory?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/daltons-atomic-theory-origin-its-merits-and-its-shortcomings\/#What_are_the_Shortcomings_of_Dalton%E2%80%99s_Atomic_Theory\" title=\"What are the Shortcomings of Dalton\u2019s Atomic Theory?\">What are the Shortcomings of Dalton\u2019s Atomic Theory?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/daltons-atomic-theory-origin-its-merits-and-its-shortcomings\/#It_incorrectly_suggested_that_atoms_are_indivisible\" title=\"It incorrectly suggested that atoms are indivisible\">It incorrectly suggested that atoms are indivisible<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/daltons-atomic-theory-origin-its-merits-and-its-shortcomings\/#Dalton%E2%80%99s_atomic_theory_did_not_account_for_the_existence_of_isotopes\" title=\"Dalton\u2019s atomic theory did not account for the existence of isotopes\">Dalton\u2019s atomic theory did not account for the existence of isotopes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>The key postulates of Dalton\u2019s atomic theory are listed below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Postulate 1 &#8211; All matter is made up of atoms.<\/li>\n<li>Postulate 2 &#8211; All atoms of a given element have exactly the same masses and properties (they are identical in mass and properties)<\/li>\n<li>Postulate 3 &#8211; Compounds are formed from the combinations of two or more atoms.<\/li>\n<li>Postulate 4 &#8211; A chemical reaction involves the rearrangement of atoms between the reacting substances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Through these postulates, John Dalton suggested that chemical reactions feature hundreds of millions of atoms that react with each other to form molecules. For example, sodium chloride (common salt) is formed when sodium atoms react with chlorine atoms.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_Merits_of_Dalton%E2%80%99s_Atomic_Theory\"><\/span>What are the Merits of Dalton\u2019s Atomic Theory?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Dalton\u2019s atomic theory was the first theory to attempt to describe matter in terms of atoms and explain its properties.<\/li>\n<li>Dalton\u2019s atomic theory was based on, and complied with, the law of conservation of mass and the law of constant proportions (also known as the law of definite proportions).<\/li>\n<li>Dalton correctly suggested that all matter can be broken down into atoms. He was, however, mistaken about the indivisibility of atoms.<\/li>\n<li>Dalton also correctly suggested that all compounds are made up of molecules that are formed from combinations of different atoms. Follow the hyperlink to access an article on <a href=\"https:\/\/byjus.com\/chemistry\/atoms-and-molecules\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>what is a molecule<\/strong><\/a>. Dalton also correctly suggested that chemical reactions feature the rearrangement of atoms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_Shortcomings_of_Dalton%E2%80%99s_Atomic_Theory\"><\/span>What are the Shortcomings of Dalton\u2019s Atomic Theory?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"It_incorrectly_suggested_that_atoms_are_indivisible\"><\/span>It incorrectly suggested that atoms are indivisible<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Atoms can be broken down into several subatomic particles such as protons, electrons, and neutrons.<\/p><div class=\"ddigj64a37eaa83082\" ><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\"\n     data-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8209967072221559\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"2673331731\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 1201px) {\r\n.ddigj64a37eaa83082 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 993px) and (max-width: 1200px) {\r\n.ddigj64a37eaa83082 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 992px) {\r\n.ddigj64a37eaa83082 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) {\r\n.ddigj64a37eaa83082 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {\r\n.ddigj64a37eaa83082 {\r\ndisplay: block;\r\n}\r\n}\r\n<\/style>\r\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dalton%E2%80%99s_atomic_theory_did_not_account_for_the_existence_of_isotopes\"><\/span>Dalton\u2019s atomic theory did not account for the existence of isotopes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Dalton\u2019s atomic theory stated that all atoms of a given element have identical masses and identical properties. However, different isotopes of the same element can have different atomic masses. This was not accounted for by Dalton\u2019s atomic theory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Towards the end of the 18th century, two different laws were put forward to explain chemical reactions. The first law&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1014"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1016,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1014\/revisions\/1016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stremon.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}