Explain any three postulates of Dalton's atomic theory with examples.
Answers
Any three postulates of Dalton's atomic theory are given below with examples:
1. All the atoms present in any given element are identical with respect to its mass and properties.
Example: Considering a gold atom, every single atom is the same. Also, the boiling point, melting point, electronegativity, etc. remain the same for all atoms of gold.
2. Atoms can neither be created nor destroyed in any chemical reaction as they follow the law of conservation of mass.
Example: During the burning of wood, the mass of ashes, soot and gases generated is equal to the original mass of the reactants.
3. The formation of products in any chemical reaction is simply a result of the rearrangement of the atoms of the reactants.
Example: In case of salt( sodium chloride), sodium combines with chlorine to form sodium chloride, however, the constituents are still present in the new compound but in the rearranged form.
Dalton's Atomic Theory
Everything is composed of atoms, which are the indivisible building blocks of matter and cannot be destroyed. All atoms of an element are identical. The atoms of different elements vary in size and mass. Compounds are produced through different whole-number combinations of atoms.