How Did Democritus Contribute To Chemistry

John Dalton wrote the modern atomic theory, a fundamental component of that is, the mole ratios of elements in a compound will be small whole numbers.

He is also best known for the theory that was created by himself. The theory of Democritus and Leucippus held that everything is composed of "atoms", which are physically, but not geometrically, indivisible; that between atoms, there lies empty space; that atoms are indestructible; have always been, and always will be, in motion; that there are an infinite number of atoms, and kinds of atoms, which differ in shape, and size. Of the mass of atoms, Democritus said "The more any indivisible exceeds, the heavier it is." But his exact position on weight of atoms is

John Dalton was a British chemist born in 1766 in England to a Quaker family. His family was poor and he was homeschooled until at age 15. He and his brother ran a school. He had the biggest effect on the atom. He was the first to bring back the idea of an atom and prove it. One reason Dalton’s discovery is important is without it

He stated that this was a mysterious force but never continued his research on it. Then in 460 B.C. there was a philosopher named Democritus. Democritus and his mentor Leocippus posed the question that if he broke bread into multiple pieces how many would breaks would it take until there was no more bread. He then was able to make a few theories being all matter was created of atoms and atoms are solid but not invisible. However, there was a man named Aristotle and many other philosophers who disagreed with Democritus and said matter was composed of four main elements. Earth, fire, air, and water. For example, a liquid was made of water and a stone was made of rock. Therefore, Democritus’s theory “ was rejected by Aristotle, one of the most influential philosophers of Ancient Greece; and the atomic theory was ignored for nearly 2,000 years.”(

Democritus made the atomic theory widely known, which stated that the universe is composed of two elements: the atoms and the void in which these atoms exist and move. (More, 1646)

The studies of chemistry and physics have shaped understanding of the world today. In fact, they have altered the mindset and reasoning of society, leading to an age in which discoveries are consistently being sought after and achieved. However, it must be noted that the origin for the basis of understanding used today in fields such as chemistry derived almost entirely from the scientists of the 1800’s. In this thorough and precise essay, the incubator for some of the world’s most innovative researchers and pioneers in chemistry and physics will be discussed – the Cavendish Laboratory.

Each different scientist made an impact in some way to the origins of an atom. Lucretius’s work, De Rerum Natura, was the basis for many future scientists. Robert Boyle was a very religious man and people believed that was the reason for him not marrying. Boyle constructed the idea that the air was made up of different particles with each having different functions. Huygens first thought of the idea that waves of light moved in a spherical shape. His wave theory is still used today along with Maxwell’s electromagnetic theory. Isaac Newton is highly popular for his theory of gravity. Bernoulli began with the idea of the kinetic theory of gases in his work, Hydrodynamics. Newton gave the image to a lot of scientists after him of what an

Since it affected him and his brother since birth he started to think that it was only one way to explain it and that was that it was hereditary. He even went on to prove his theory when genetic analysis of his own eye tissues showed that he didn’t have the photoreceptor for seeing the color green. To this day the condition is called Daltonism. Dalton’s interest in atmospheric pressure pushed him to start studying gasses. In the early 1800’s Dalton realized that air isn’t a chemical solvent. Instead Dalton revealed that it’s a mechanical system composed of small particles that uses pressure applied by each gas

He was born and raised at Woolsthorpe Manor in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, England. In his early teenage years he attended The King’s School at Grantham. At this time, he developed his interest for chemistry. He initially did poorly in school and was removed. His mother attempted to make a farmer out of him, but he refused. He went back to The King’s school and completed his education with high, respectable grades. He was later admitted to Trinity College in Cambridge. There he received teaching based on important figures such as Aristotle and Johannes Kepler. One of his most notable discoveries while at school was the development of calculus. Some of his other mathematical discoveries included the binomial theorem, a method for approximating the roots of a function, and the classification of most cubic plane curves. The first practical reflecting telescope was later developed by Newton, leading him to studies surrounding optics. He based his theory of color on the fact that white light can be separated into a visible spectrum when introduced to a prism. He formed many of these ideas alone in his house after being sent home from college. The black plague caused Trinity College to be put on hold for two years. Instead of wasting this time, he sought out to make even more discoveries. He wrote his book Principia about his developed laws of motion and universal gravitation. His first law is as follows: “An object at

Atomic Theories 1. John Dalton John Dalton based his theory on Democritus’ findings. This was that matter could be divided and split into several smaller “units”, eventually forming a tiny particle that couldn’t be divided. This particle is an atom. Democritus and other Ancient Greeks could not support their theory or findings due to the lack of technology, equipment and understanding of atoms.

It can be said in many ways that Democritus’ account on nature is superior to Anaxagoras’. Anaxagoras believes that a mover is the cause of motion in matter. He calls this “Mind,” (Frag. 12, Anaxagoras). Mind has the following attributes: it is self-ruling, unlimited, and unmixed with the infinite small and great. In short, it is completely independent of the movement of matter, and yet it “began to move things” (Frag. 12, Anaxagoras). Democritus has no corresponding idea to Anaxagoras. Instead, he believes that atoms, his version of first principles, have “always been moving, and will always move” (Frag. 9, Democritus). He does not have an original source of movement. He claims that the atoms move “by bumping and knocking one another,” (Frag 9, Democritus) but does not state a beginning for the bumping and knocking. As an analogy, think of falling dominos as matter moving. Anaxagoras believes that the dominos were falling since the Mind started motion. Democritus believes that the dominos have and will always be in motion, falling for infinity in both the past and future.

Instead Antoine Lavoisier was drawn to the study of Chemistry. This led him to publish and read his first paper to the elite French Academy of Sciences, which he was soon elected to in 1769. Serving on the French Academy of sciences allowed him to be a part of the creation of the Metric System. He also opened a lab, for experiments, where many people gathered to see his work. During his lab experiments he found reason to disprove of the Phlogiston theory when he demonstrated that there was a recently discovered element named oxygen. Oxygen is known for playing a major role in combustion therefore the Phlogiston element no longer held an importance in this reaction. He identified sulfur as an element by observing that it could not be broken down to any other simpler substances, proved that no mass is lost in a chemical reaction, and demonstrated that combustion and respiration are the same chemically by executing a lab experiment with the help of Pierre-Simon Laplace-. He was the first person to prove that matter’s shape may change, but its mass stays the same and Lavoisier also wrote the Elementary Treatise of Chemistry in 1789. This book was considered the first chemistry textbook and included the laws of chemistry, list of elements, and recent

For many years Greek philosophers were intrigued by the question of what matter consists of(Lucretius 31). In the fifth century BC, Democritus was the first philosopher to come up with a coherent atom theory. Based upon the reasoning that a stone can be split in half an infinite number of times, he hypothesized that at some point the stone would be too small for the eye to see. Democritus categorized such miniscule fragments of matter as “atomos” . Without experimental evidence, Democritus guessed that atoms of all shapes are in continual motion. Such motion affords the possibility of collisions in which atoms could attract or repel. Alterations in matter could be counted for by these collisions. Democritus’s original atomic theory had little impact on the world for many years, due to its lack of evidence, and was rejected by another renowned philosopher, Aristotle ("Ancient Atomic Theory").

The philosophers Leucippus and Democritus are constantly mentioned in the same breath. Since the bulk of their works did not survive the middle ages, we have only fragments and the writings of their peers and successors to tell us about their accomplishments and ideas. It is difficult to separate these two men because they are praised or critiqued as a unit by contemporaries and followers, but their exact relationship is unclear. Sources such as Diogenes Laertius do not link them as teacher and student, but rather as acquaintances. However, in Metaphysics, Aristotle refers to Democritus as Leucippus’ “disciple”, equating the two philosophers’ ideas of “full” and “void” (the idea of atoms and the space in which they move). But whatever their relationship, their legacy of atomism is an important one, and it has influenced philosophy and science down to the present day.

Chemistry has been around for a very long time. Chemistry is the branch of physical science that studies composition, properties, energy, and behavior of matter. It is said that chemistry has been around since prehistoric times. This was in the form of everyday objects like pottery, cosmetics and perfumes, and extracting metals from ores. Chemistry is based on the discovery and study of elements. Some elements were known to ancient man, but most were discovered by chemists and alchemists. Some say that chemistry started in the early Stone Age when man made fire. Chemistry is the study of chemical composition and properties of matter and the reactions of that matter. The study of any living thing involves chemistry.