1. states all matter is made of tiny indivisible particles called atoms (proven wrong)
◦ modern science: atoms are not indivisble
2. atoms of the same element are exactly alike + have same mass; atoms of different elements have different masses
◦ modern science: concept of isotopes —> not quite right
3. in chemical reactions, atoms are combined, separated, or rearranged
4. atoms of diff elements combine in whole-number ratios to form chemical compounds