... about the atom to carry on their work. John Dalton was born in 1766, and developed the ancient concept of atoms into a scientific theory that was the foundation for modern chemistry. Throughout his life, Dalton was very interested in the atmosphere of the Earth, and he recorded over 200,000 observations of the atmosphere in his notes. These observations led Dalton to study and experiment with gases. From these experiments he began to formulate his theories on atoms and the structure of the atom. His theory on atoms - his most important contribution to science - was that matter is made up of atoms of different weights. He believed that atoms could combine in simple ratios by weight. In his book 'A New System of Chemical Philosophy', which he published in 1808, he listed the weights of a few known elements relative to the weight of hydrogen. Although the weights that ...

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