Dalton’s Atomic Theory

John Dalton(1766-1844)
• Developed the first useful atomic theory
of matter around 1803.
•  He wondered how water and air could
occupy the same space at the same time,
when obviously solid bodies can't.
• If the water and air were composed of
discrete particles, Dalton reasoned,
evaporation might be viewed as a mixing
of water particles with air particles.
Dalton’s Atomic Theory
 1. All matter consists of tiny particles. 
 2. Atoms are indestructible and unchangeable.
 3. Elements are characterized by the mass of their atoms. 
 4. Atoms of one element differ in mass and other properties
from atoms of other elements
 5. Atoms can neither be created nor destroyed.
Foundations of Atomic Theory
 Law of Conservation of Mass
• Mass is neither destroyed nor created during
ordinary chemical reactions.
 Conservation of Atoms

2 H 2 + O2 2 H2O
John Dalton
H
H
H2 O O H2 O
H
O2 H
+
O H
H
H2
H O H2 O
H

4 atoms hydrogen 4 atoms hydrogen

2 atoms oxygen 2 atoms oxygen
 Legos are Similar to Atoms
H
H
H2 H O O H2 O
H
+ O2
H O H
H2 H O H 2O
H

Lego's can be taken apart and built into many different things.
Atoms can be rearranged into different substances.
 Law of Definite Proportions

• The fact that a chemical compound contains the same

elements in exactly the same proportions by mass
regardless of the size of the sample or source of the
compound
 The Law of Multiple Proportions
• Dalton could not use his theory to determine the elemental
compositions of chemical compounds because he had no reliable
scale of atomic masses.
• Dalton’s data led to a general statement known as the law of
multiple proportions.
• Law states that when two elements form a series of compounds,
the ratios of the masses of the second element that are present per
gram of the first element can almost always be expressed as the
ratios of integers.
• When one element can combine with another to form more than
one compound, the mass ratios of the elements in the compounds
are simple whole-number ratios of each other.

• For example, in CO and in CO2, the oxygen-to-carbon ratios are

16:12 and 32:12, respectively. Note that the second ratio is exactly
twice the first, because there are exactly twice as many oxygens in
CO2 per carbon as there are in CO.