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The Theory Of Atomic Theory Essay

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Emily Elliott
Scientists who Contributed to Atomic Theory
20 September 20 What is Atomic Theory? Atomic theory is the theory that all matter is made up of tiny indivisible particles called atoms. This paper will discuss its beginnings and some of the scientists who made major contributions to how it is defined today.
Background
Since the earliest of times, scientists and philosophers have known that the universe is more than just what it appears to be, but instead there is a deeper, more complex makeup beneath the surface. The ancient Greeks called it “the four elements”2, though some, like Democritus, believed that everything was made of tiny indivisible particles called atoms.3 Later, however, with advancements in technology, scientists such as John Dalton, JJ Thomson, Ernest Rutherford, and James Chadwick were able to prove the existence of an indivisible particle with a dense, positively charged nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons with electrons orbiting the nucleus.1 With this knowledge, others were able to dig deeper, and discover so much more about atomic theory, such as Brown’s equation for the motion of an electron,6 Dirac’s discovery of the positron,11 Fermi’s research in nuclear fission to create the atomic bomb,13 and Gell-Mann’s discovery of the quark.14 Each discovery made by these men has shaped the world in some way or another, and even now more discoveries are being made, but only because of the foundation laid out by those who set atomic

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