CHEMISTRY YEAR 09 Class activity sheet-05 (Daltons atomic theory)

Lesson objectives:
By the end of this lesson, about 70% of the learners should be able to:

State the elements Daltons investigated and other scientists who through their work, Dalton came out with atomic theory

State Daltons atomic theory.

Recap of previous lesson:

What possible ways did philosophers investigate matter in the past?
Prompt for prior knowledge:
What do you known about Daltons atomic theory?
(a)

John Daltons work

John Dalton (an English chemist) spent much of time investigating gases. He investigated
the combination of carbon and oxygen and produced two gases.
a. In the first gas, he noticed that one particle of carbon combined with one particle
of oxygen.
b. In the second gas, he noticed that one particle of carbon combined with two
particles of oxygen.
In addition to his own work, he also read about the work of Lavoisier and Proust and put
together the following statements which are called today Daltons atomic theory.
Activity 01:
(a) (i) Suggest the nationality of John Dalton.
(ii) What substances did John Dalton investigate? .
(iii) Name two elements that John Dalton spent his time investigating.
.. and ..
(iv) What was his point of interest about these two elements?
..
(v) What conclusion could be drawn from his observation about these two elements?

Daltons atomic theory

1. All matter is composed tiny indivisible particles called atoms
2. Atoms cannot be divided up into smaller particles and cannot be destroyed
3. Atoms of an element all have the same mass and properties
4. Atoms of different elements have different masses and properties
5. Atoms combine in simple whole numbers ratio when the form compounds
Activity 02:
(a) What name would you give to a substance that is very small and cannot be divided?

(b) Would you expect X with mass = 30g and Y with mass = 30g to be atoms of the same
element? Explain.

(c) Would you expect A1 with mass = 30g and A2 with mass = 40g to be atoms of the
same element? Explain.

(d) The formula of sodium chloride is NaCl, that of water is H2O, that of aluminium oxide
is Al2O3. How many atoms of:
(i)
sodium (Na) are there in a unit of NaCl?

(ii) chlorine (Cl) are there in a unit of NaCl?

(iii) hydrogen (H) are there in a molecule of H2O? .
(iv) oxygen (O) are there in a molecule of H2O? .
(v) aluminium (Al) are there in a unit of Al2O3? ...
(vi) oxygen (O) are there in a unit of Al2O3? .
(e) Which Dalton statement (postulate) above is illustrated by the formulae sodium
chloride (NaCl), water is (H2O) and that aluminium oxide (Al2O3) given above?

Recent investigations on the structure of the atom show that Daltons atomic theory was
not completely correct although it helped scientists at the time it was published.
Summary:
- Dalton arrived at his theory because he was interested in the study of gas and
also on reading the work of other scientists e.g. Lavoisier, Proust.
- Two gases that Dalton observed from the combination of carbon and oxygen
were carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
- Daltons atomic theory is made up of five statements.
Plenery
- What did you learn about Daltons investigation on gases?
- How did Dalton arrive at his theory?
- How many statements made up Daltons atomic theory?

ASSIGNMENT
1. Dalton used evidence from his work and other scientists to help him develop his
theory.
(a) Name two scientists that Dalton used evidence from their work

(b) Who provided evidence for the first statement of Daltons theory?

.
(c) Who provided evidence for the second statement of Daltons theory?

(d) What evidence help Dalton to develop the fifth statement of his theory?