Question

When applied to the law of combining volumes, which of the following is the correct Berzelius's hypothesis?
(a)- It predicts atoms are indivisible
(b)- It predicts atoms are divisible
(c)- It is contrary to Dalton’s hypothesis

(i)- Only a
(ii)- Only b
(iii)- Both a and c
(iv)- Both b and c

Answer 1

Hint: Berzelius was a Swedish chemist. He tried to correlate with Dalton’s Atomic theory and Gay-Lussac’s law of gaseous volumes. So, his result was contrary to the Modified Dalton’s Atomic Theory.

Complete step by step answer:
John Dalton in 1808, by studying elements, compounds, mixtures, and laws of chemical combination, gave his theory. This theory was Dalton's atomic theory. Some major points of this theory are:

The matter is made up of very small particles called atoms and these atoms are indivisible.
All the atoms in the same element are identical, i.e., in shape, size, weight, etc.
Different elements have different atoms and so, they have different chemical properties.
Molecules are formed by combining atoms of the same or different elements.
Compounds are formed in a simple ratio when atoms combine.
Atoms combine in a different ratio to form more than one type of compound.
In a chemical reaction, the smallest particle which takes place is an atom.
Atoms can neither be created nor destroyed.
This theory had some limitations, so the modified Dalton’s Atomic theory formed. It states that:
Atoms are divisible into many particles, most important of them are protons, electrons, and neutrons.
The atoms have isobars and isotopes.
The ratios of combining atoms are not always simple.
Atoms are no longer considered as indestructible.

So, Berzelius argued that while electrons combine in a simple ratio by atoms, gases combine in a simple ratio by volume. According to Berzelius Hypothesis- "Equal volumes of all gases under similar conditions of temperature and pressure contain an equal number of atoms." When this was applied to the law of gaseous volume, it predicted that the atom is divisible and contrary to modified Dalton's Atomic theory.
So, the correct answer is “Option D”.

Note: The law of gaseous volume states that: Under similar conditions of temperature and pressure when gases combine in volumes they bear a simple ratio to one another and the volume of the product.