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Atomic Models

Early Atomic Theory, Discovery Of The Electron, The First Atomic Models, Discovery Of The Proton



The atom is defined as the smallest part of an element that retains the chemical properties of that element. The existence of atoms was first proposed as early as 400 B.C. Greek philosophers debated whether one could divide a substance into infinitely smaller pieces, or if eventually the smallest, indivisible particle would be reached. Around 450 B.C., the Greek philosopher Democritus proposed that all matter is made up of small, indivisible particles called atomos, which means indivisible. He further hypothesized that matter could not be divided into smaller and smaller particles forever. His ideas were met with much criticism, and it was not until the early 1800s that the early atomic theory took hold.




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