Greek philosophers such as Democritus and Aristotle had ideas about the composition of matter. For example, Democritus believed matter was made of tiny, solid spheres that he called atomos, and Aristotle thought matter was made of earth, water, fire, and air. Aristotle's idea of matter was the accepted idea for over 2,000 years until John Dalton came up with a new theory about matter based on his experimental data. Which of the following best explains why Dalton’s theory became more widely-accepted over Aristotle's theory? Aristotle’s theory did not have enough direct evidence due to poor observational tools.

Dalton’s theory had repeated observations which were supported by extensive evidence.

Dalton’s theory was more complete because more respected scientists found the ideas possible.

Aristotle’s theory became the law of conservation of mass when he documented phase changes of matter.