Given the evidence available at the time (early 1800\'s) nothing was wrong with Dalton\'s theory. It accounted for the variations among elements, their relative masses, the observed conservation of mass, and the observations made by earlier scientists about the proportions of elements found in compounds. Dalton did conjecture that atoms somehow stuck together to make compounds, but he couldn\'t explain how. It was only much later that electrons were discovered, showing that atoms weren\'t indestructible solid objects, and later still that it was shown that atoms had a specific internal structure, the exact nature of which is still under investigation. None of these discoveries invalidate Dalton\'s atomic theory -- they expand and enrich it. Dalton\'s theory did exactly what good scientific theories do -- explain and relate existing evidence, and provide a foundation for further inquiry. Solution Given the evidence available at the time (early 1800\'s) nothing was wrong with Dalton\'s theory. It accounted for the variations among elements, their relative masses, the observed conservation of mass, and the observations made by earlier scientists about the proportions of elements found in compounds. Dalton did conjecture that atoms somehow stuck together to make compounds, but he couldn\'t explain how. It was only much later that electrons were discovered, showing that atoms weren\'t indestructible solid objects, and later still that it was shown that atoms had a specific internal structure, the exact nature of which is still under investigation. None of these discoveries invalidate Dalton\'s atomic theory -- they expand and enrich it. Dalton\'s theory did exactly what good scientific theories do -- explain and relate existing evidence, and provide a foundation for further inquiry..

1. Given the evidence available at the time (early 1800's) nothing was wrong with Dalton's
theory. It accounted for the variations among elements, their relative masses, the observed
conservation of mass, and the observations made by earlier scientists about the proportions of
elements found in compounds. Dalton did conjecture that atoms somehow stuck together to make
compounds, but he couldn't explain how. It was only much later that electrons were discovered,
showing that atoms weren't indestructible solid objects, and later still that it was shown that
atoms had a specific internal structure, the exact nature of which is still under investigation.
None of these discoveries invalidate Dalton's atomic theory -- they expand and enrich it.
Dalton's theory did exactly what good scientific theories do -- explain and relate existing
evidence, and provide a foundation for further inquiry.
Solution
Given the evidence available at the time (early 1800's) nothing was wrong with Dalton's
theory. It accounted for the variations among elements, their relative masses, the observed
conservation of mass, and the observations made by earlier scientists about the proportions of
elements found in compounds. Dalton did conjecture that atoms somehow stuck together to make
compounds, but he couldn't explain how. It was only much later that electrons were discovered,
showing that atoms weren't indestructible solid objects, and later still that it was shown that
atoms had a specific internal structure, the exact nature of which is still under investigation.
None of these discoveries invalidate Dalton's atomic theory -- they expand and enrich it.
Dalton's theory did exactly what good scientific theories do -- explain and relate existing
evidence, and provide a foundation for further inquiry.