LIMITATIONS OF DALTON’S THEORY | DON STEVE BLOG
March 28, 2024

Dalton’s atomic theory was proposed by John Dalton in 1808, and it was a significant advancement in the field of chemistry. The theory was based on several observations and experiments that Dalton conducted.

Here are the main postulates of Dalton’s atomic theory:

  1. All matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms.
  2. Atoms of the same element are identical in mass and size, while atoms of different elements have different masses and sizes.
  3. Atoms combine in fixed ratios to form compounds.
  4. Chemical reactions involve the rearrangement of atoms; no atoms are created or destroyed during a chemical reaction.

The theory revolutionized the understanding of the composition and behavior of matter. However, with the advancement of technology and new discoveries, the theory has certain limitations.

Some of these limitations are:

  1. Dalton’s atomic theory did not account for the existence of isotopes, which are atoms of the same element that have different masses due to a different number of neutrons.
  2. The theory could not explain the nature of radiation and the behavior of subatomic particles.
  3. It was later discovered that atoms are not indivisible; they are composed of subatomic particles like protons, neutrons, and electrons.
  4. The theory did not account for the phenomenon of chemical bonding, which occurs due to the sharing or exchange of electrons between atoms.

Despite these limitations, Dalton’s atomic theory was a groundbreaking contribution to the field of chemistry, and it paved the way for further research and discoveries in atomic and molecular structure.

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