On July 27, 1844 John Dalton died. Dalton was an English chemist and physicist who proposed what has become known as Dalton's atomic theory. This theory puts forth the idea that elements are made up of very small units, or atoms. These atoms are the smallest unit of mass that cannot be destroyed by chemical means. All atoms of a particular element are identical to each other. Dalton's theory also says chemical compounds are formed by combining two or more different kinds of atoms and that a chemical reaction is just the rearrangement of atoms.
This theory explained many unknown chemical phenomenon of the time and was quickly adopted by chemists. Today, we see flaws with the overall theory. Dalton had no idea of the existence of parts of atoms and the existence of isotopes. He also didn't know that atoms could be created or destroyed through nuclear processes. In spite of this, his basic theory lives on in modern chemistry.
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