Dalton proposed that all matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms. He stated that atoms of the same element are identical in mass and chemical properties, while atoms of different elements differ in mass and properties. According to Dalton, atoms cannot be created, destroyed, or divided during chemical reactions. He also proposed that compounds are formed when atoms of different elements combine in simple whole-number ratios.
A student studies two compounds, methane \((CH_{4})\) and carbon dioxide \((CO_{2})\). Methane contains carbon and hydrogen, while carbon dioxide contains carbon and oxygen. The student notices that although both compounds contain carbon, they have different properties and compositions.
Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:
Methane and carbon dioxide both contain carbon. Yet they are different compounds. Which Daltonian idea explains this?