According to Dalton's atomic theory, atoms of different elements have what property?

According to Dalton's atomic theory, atoms of different elements have what property?

• A. All atoms have the same mass.
• B. Atoms of different elements have different properties.
• C. Atoms can be subdivided into smaller particles with identical properties.
• D. Atoms of different elements are identical in all properties.

Answer: (B)

Atoms of different elements have different properties. Dalton’s idea was that each element is made of its own kind of atom, and those atoms differ in mass and in the properties they confer to substances. That difference in atomic identity is what gives elements their unique chemical behavior and means they combine in specific ways to form compounds. So the statement that captures this idea—that atoms of different elements have different properties—fits Dalton’s view. The other statements contradict his concept: all atoms having the same mass, atoms being subdividable into identical particles, or atoms of different elements being identical in all properties would clash with the notion that each element has its own distinct type of atom.

Atoms of different elements have different properties. Dalton’s idea was that each element is made of its own kind of atom, and those atoms differ in mass and in the properties they confer to substances. That difference in atomic identity is what gives elements their unique chemical behavior and means they combine in specific ways to form compounds. So the statement that captures this idea—that atoms of different elements have different properties—fits Dalton’s view. The other statements contradict his concept: all atoms having the same mass, atoms being subdividable into identical particles, or atoms of different elements being identical in all properties would clash with the notion that each element has its own distinct type of atom.