Early Ideas About Matter

Which of the following was Democritus the first to propose? 

• modern atomic theory

  
  

• Empty space cannot exist.

  
  

• Matter is not infinitely divisible.  

  
  

• Matter is made of earth, fire, and water.

  
  

Which of the following is not an idea supported by Dalton’s atomic theory?

• Atoms are indivisible and indestructible.

  
  

• Atoms of a given element are identical in size, mass, and chemical properties. 

  
  

• Empty space cannot exist. 

  
  

• Different atoms combine in whole-number ratios to form compounds. 

  
  

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-7

Which of the following is not true of the law of conservation of mass? 

• Mass is conserved in any process.  

  
  

• The total number of atoms of each element is the same before and after the reaction. 

  
  

• New atoms are created in a chemical reaction.

  
  

• It led to acceptance of Dalton’s atomic theory.  

  
  

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-7

Which is not true of philosophers thousands of years ago?

• They had few tools for scientific exploration.

  
  

• They formulated explanations based on their own life experiences.

  
  

• Many concluded that matter was made of earth, water, air, and fire.

  
  

• They tested the validity of their ideas with the scientific method. 

  
  

Which part of an atom creates most of the atom’s volume?

• nucleus

• proton

• neutron

• electron