![]() We now know that atoms of the same element sometimes have slightly different masses, but always have identical nuclear charge. ![]() (Dalton used the word "weight" rather than mass, and chemists have called atomic masses "atomic weights" ever since). Of different elements have different weights. Elements are characterized by the mass of their atoms.Īll atoms of the same element have identical weights, Dalton asserted.A slightly more restrictive wording is "Atoms cannot be created, destroyed, or transformed into other atoms in a chemical change". The postulate is still useful in explaining the law of conservation of mass in chemistry. But we don't consider processes that affect the nucleus to be chemical processes. The discovery of nuclear processes showed that it was even possible to transform atoms from one element into atoms of another. With the discovery of subatomic particles after Dalton's time, it became apparent that atoms could be broken into smaller parts. ![]() Dalton based this hypothesis on the law of conservation of mass and on centuries of experimental evidence. Transformed into atoms of another element. Atoms of an element cannot be created, destroyed, broken into smaller parts or
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |