1 jan 460 ano antes da era comum - Democritus

Descrição:

Democritus was an Ancient Greek philosopher who lived over two thousand years ago, around 460 BC (Encyclopedia.com, 2020). He is credited today with the first comprehensive atomic theory (Berryman, 2016).

Democritus proposed that all matter is made of minuscule particles that are physically indivisible and indestructible; he called these particles 'atomos', meaning 'indivisible' in Ancient Greek (Berryman, 2016). They also come in various sizes and shapes (Berryman, 2016). According to his theory, these particles never change themselves, and their number is infinite and constant, so there is never any overall change in the universe (Encyclopedia.com, 2020).

However, local change can still occur, as Democritus believed in the existence of empty space, into which atoms are able to move; because of this, they can interact with each other through collisions, connections, separations, and rearrangements (Encyclopedia.com, 2020).

Furthermore, Democritus' atoms do not individually possess perceptible qualities or characteristics, but their configuration determines the characteristics of whatever they compose, such as taste, colour and temperature (Encyclopedia.com, 2020).

Democritus even postulated how compounds form: when hooked or barbed atoms collide, they adhere. forming compounds (Berryman, 2016).

Today, Democritus is remembered for having developed the first atomic model. Although it was primitive and flawed, it was the foundation on which later scientists made further ground.

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