Evolution of idea on atom from ancient Greek to the present
by Raven H Cruz
1. Atomism Greek philosophers began considering the nature of what things were made of. They were preoccupied with how the universe seemed to be both changing and constant.
1.1. LEUCIPPUS & DEMOCRITUS were two of the most important theorists about the natural and physical world. They were called physicists in Ancient Greece. They considered the idea of atomism, or the idea that things are made up of much smaller things that cannot be changed nor divided.
1.2. Anaxagoras There was an infinite number of elementary natural substances in the form of infinitesimally small particles that combined to comprise the different things in the universe.
1.3. Empedocles stated that everything is made up of four eternal and unchanging kinds of matter, fire, air (all gases), water (all liquids and metals) and earth (all solids).
1.4. Plato further expanded Empedocles’ theory by saying each of the four kinds of matter is composed of geometrical solids (the “Platonic solids”) further divisible into triangles. When rearranged, these triangles could cause the apparent transformations between the four basic kinds of matter.
2. The Gnome theory of physics
2.1. *gnome theory of physics that says the universe can be explained entirely by the actions and effects of tiny versions of gnomes (duwende in Philippine mythology).
3. Protoscience - An unscientific field of study which later developed into real science (e.g. astrology toward astronomy, alchemy toward chemistry).
3.1. Pseudoscience – SYSTEM OF THEORIES, ASSUMPTIONS AND METHODS ERRONEOUSLY REGARDED AS SCIENTIFIC
