Democritus of Abdera and the Discovery of the Atom

Since the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus of Abdera first discovered the atom, man’s interest in the atom has only increased as studies of it continued. Reaching its pivotal point of advancement during WW2, as Einsteins work was finally put into practice as scientists from the U.S detonate the first nuclear weapon, which unintentionally, later ushers in a cold war. After the cold war, the development of nuclear power leads to serious complications as several units fail, making people question its use in modern day society. Democritus of Abdera was a greek philosopher born around 460 BC, a cheerful and blissful man. He was one of the two founding fathers of the Atomic Theory. His thought process on the theory, was that matter was comprised of tiny building particles called atoms. This theory was widely questionable at this time. As people were not very well accustomed with accepting new ideas, and/or new concepts of philosophy and science. This theory was only partially co rrect, and as scientist of the more modern age began to look deeper into Democritus’s work, they begin to make new theories and hypothesize new ideas about the atom. Which later on, would lead to the development of the atomic theory and the most accurate description of the atom with the work of Niels Bohr. Nearly 2000 years forward, past the philosophies of Democritus, Bohr, and other atomic theorists, the bloodshed of World War 2 hit its peak. The United States of America was caught in a twoShow MoreRelatedThe Creation of the Modern Atomic Theory Essay1346 Words   |  6 Pagestheories overlap. Introduction All matter is made of atoms. Water, food, clothes, furniture, and everything surrounding us, including ourselves, human beings, are made of atoms too. An atom is the smallest particle contained by matter that still retains its physical and chemical properties. (Introduction to Atoms, 2014.) The atomic theory is a theory which states the structure, properties, and behavior of an atom. (Atomic Theory, 2014.) Democritus, Dalton, Thompson, Millikan, and Rutherford, wereRead MoreAtom History Essay960 Words   |  4 PagesAtom History Essay An Atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense, central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The Atom was theorized by a man named Democritus of Abdera, Thrace in between c.a 460 BC - ca. 370 B.C. Atom is derived from the Greek word â€Å"atomos† , which means to be uncuttable. He had a theory that everything is composed of â€Å"atoms†, which he believed that these minuscule objects are indivisible, indestructible and have and always been in motionRead MoreDemocritus As The Father Of Modern Chemistry Essay Outline1572 Words   |  7 PagesDemocritus (460 BC- 370 BC) (Abdera, Greece) - Democritus was a Greek Philosopher who was the first individual to utilize the term atom. He imagined that if you take a bit of matter and divide it and keep on dividing it, you will eventually come to a point where you could not isolate it any longer. This principle or fundamental unit was what Democritus called an atom. He called this the theory of the universe: †¢ all matter compromises of atoms, which are bits of matter too little to be seenRead MorePeriodic Table Research Task2751 Words   |  12 Pagesatomic mass’. (3 marks) i) 1) Elements are made up of tiny particles called atoms. 2) Atoms cannot be destroyed or created but can be rearranged during chemical changes. 3) Atoms of a particular element are identical in mass, size, shape and other properties. 4) Atoms of different elements are different in their mass, size, shape and other properties. 5) Atoms cannot be divided into smaller particles. 6) Atoms of different elements combine in small whole-number ratios to form compounds. Read MoreThe Theory Of Atomic Theory Essay2125 Words   |  9 Pagesup of tiny indivisible particles called atoms. This paper will discuss its beginnings and some of the scientists who made major contributions to how it is defined today. Background Since the earliest of times, scientists and philosophers have known that the universe is more than just what it appears to be, but instead there is a deeper, more complex makeup beneath the surface. The ancient Greeks called it â€Å"the four elements†2, though some, like Democritus, believed that everything was made of tinyRead MoreThe Discovery Of The Atom1384 Words   |  6 PagesAn Atom is the the basic building block of all matter. Atoms are made up of Particles, called: Protons, neutrons and Electrons. Protons carry a positive charge, the neutron carry s a neutral charge and the electron carry’s a negative charge. The Atom has two main parts the Nucleus and the Electron Shell. The Nucleus contains the Protons and Neutrons. The electron Shell Contains the The electrons. There are many Scientist that contributed in the investigation of the atom which are: 1- John Dalton