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In 1661 the English chemist Robert Boyle laid down the modern criterion of an element published the modern criterion for an element: Modem ideas about the structure of matter originated in the 17th century. Unlike the atomism of Democritus and Epicurus, the Aristotelian “natural minimum” was not conceptualized as physically indivisible. According to their philosophy, lead differs from gold only in the proportions of the these four elements it contains and so the problem of converting lead into gold is just a matter of correctly blending the right combination of elements. Other ancient Greek philosophers (Empedocles, Heraclitus and Aristotle) considered these basic elements to be earth, air, water, and fire. This word comes from the Ancient Greek adjective atomos, meaning “ indivisible“. They supposed that the properties of materials were determined by the different shapes and forms of their atoms.
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The word “atom” was coined by the ancient Greek philosophers Leucippus, Epicurus and Democritus. These ancient philosophers speculated that the earth was made up of different combinations of basic substances, or elements. It must be added, atomism was one of a number of competing theories on the nature of matter. Atomic theory began as a philosophical concept in ancient Greece and India. A scientific theory, which deals with the nature of matter is known as atomic theory. But the path to this model was complex and full of many surprising findings. This model is today quite clear and proven. The nucleus itself is generally made of protons and neutrons. The electrons are spinning around the atomic nucleus. The atoms are the smallest constituents of ordinary matter, which can be divided without the release of electrically charged particles. As was written, all matter except dark matter is made of molecules, which are themselves made of atoms.