The Development of The Atom

Essay by oxide85High School, 11th gradeA-, September 2008

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An atom is the smallest particle of an element that retains its identity in a chemical reaction. Also each one element’s atoms are different from another element’s atoms, and each atom of the same element is identical. They can be physically mixed together or chemically combined in simple whole number ratios. Last of all, chemical reactions have occurred when the atoms are joined, separated, or rearranged, but never changed. The development of this theory went through a long process over thousands of years to finally get what we now call Dalton’s atomic theory. Even later there is more learned about atoms. It started all the way back in about 400 B.C. by a Greek philosopher named Democritus.

Democritus was one of the first to come up with the idea of the atom. He believed that the atom was the smallest of all particles. He described them as being indivisible and indestructible.

However, because of the lack of technology Democritus could not test and prove his ideas.

The next giant step in the development of the atom was made by a man named John Dalton in about 1800. By using experimental methods, Dalton transformed Democritus’s ideas on atoms into scientific theory. Based on the results Dalton developed Dalton’s atomic theory. This said that all elements are composed of tiny invisible particles called atoms, each one element’s atoms are different from another element’s atoms, and each atom of the same element is identical, atoms can be physically mixed together or chemically combined in simple whole number ratios, and chemical reactions have occurred when the atoms are joined, separated, or rearranged, but never changed.

Another huge step forward in the exploration of atoms was made by J.J. Thomson. He was the man who discovered the electron. He made an experiment using...