Researched
Atomic Theory (Dalton)
Dalton explains chemical laws in 1808 with atoms of different weights; chemistry now computes with atomic weights and formulas.
Open in the interactive tree →Dalton proposed that each element consists of identical atoms and that compounds form in fixed ratios. Berzelius introduced chemical symbols (1813), Avogadro the concept of molecules (1811). The reality of atoms was settled only by Einstein's and Perrin's work on Brownian motion (1905 to 1908).
Prerequisites
- Atomism (Democritus)~430 BCDalton revived the ancient atom idea and gave it measurable weights
- Modern Chemistry (Lavoisier)1789