Essay/Term paper: John dalton

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Chemistry

John Dalton


John Dalton was a great help to modern day chemistry. He was born in 1766 in the small town of Eaglesfield, Cumbria, NW England in the UK. He was a chemist that stated an atomic theory of matter, which is now the theory of modern day chemistry. Besides his theories, he published the first major book of the studies of color blindness; which affected him. The book was published in 1794.
He first stated his theory in 1803: that each chemical element is composed of its own kind of atoms, all with about the same weight. His theory explained why one substance with a curtain amount of mass joins with another substance with the same amount of mass, which forms compounds; this doesn't alway take place. His law also concluded that two solids can not occupy the same space at the same time, although he concluded that a liquid, and a gas can occupy the same space at the same time. His law was the first useful atomic theory of matter.
Another theory he had stated that total pressure let out by a mixture of gasses is the total of the pressures of all individual gasses in the mixture: in other words, he concluded evaporated water exists in air as an independent gas.

Dalton tried his expiriments many times to make sure that his theory was right. To be exact Dalton tried his expiriments about 200,000 times!
Dalton also developed a hypothesis that the sizes of the particles making up different gases must be different.
Daltons talent for recognizing patterns for his expirements data led him from his problem in meteorology. The idea of atoms being fundimental constituents of matter made him realize the importance of the theoretical connection between atomic weights and weight relations. In a easier way of saying this: Dalton was great at recognizing patterns in is work. His idea of atoms being fundimental parts of matter made him realize the importance of the theoretical connection between atomic weights and weight relations. Dalton was the first person to associate the old idea of atoms with stoichiometry.
Daltons atomic theory is based on four ideas:
1. All matter is made up of tiny particles, (A theory said by Newton in the 1680s.)
2. Atoms are unbreakable, and cannot be changed into something different, (A hypothesis from Newton stating elements can't be made, destroyed, or broken into smaller parts.)
3. An elements characteristics are based by the mass of it's own atoms, and last: (Atoms have identical weights, atoms of different elements have weights. These elements are characterized by their atomic numbers).
4. When elements are combined, their atoms combine simple, as whole-number ratios. (A suggestion that suggested a strategy for determining relative atomic weights from elemental percentages of elemt compounds.)