- the law of multiple proportions
-> When two elements (call them A and B) form two different compounds, the masses of element B that combine with 1 gram of element A can be expressed as a ratio of small whole numbers
-> Dalton used this theory to justify that atoms really are individual particles that can be broken down
- atomic theory
1) each element is composed of tiny, indestructible particles called atoms
2) all atoms of a given element have the same mass and other properties that distinguish them from the atoms of other elements
3) atoms combine in simple, whole-number ratios to form compounds
4) atoms of one element cannot change into atoms of another element. In a chemical reaction, atoms only change the way that they are bound together with other atoms