Democritus vs. Dalton
Democritus and Dalton were two scientists that studied atoms. Dalton studied and tested Democritus’s thoughts. Democritus didn’t have the ability to do anything but wonder about the existence of the atom. Dalton was able to use experiments to test the theories of Democritus.
Democritus was the first to suggest the existence of the atom around 400 B.C., but it took almost 2,000 years before John Dalton was able to prove the atom as a fundamental chemical object. Dalton's atomic theory remains valid in current chemical thought. Dalton wrote his atomic theory around 1810.
Democritus thought two things about atoms. He thought that atoms are not only physically indivisible but also geometrically invisible. He also thought…show more content… Between the two men they were able to improve science and prove what is and isn't possible with the build of atoms. Dalton used experiments to prove his stance on the existence of the atom.
Dalton came up with an atomic theory that helped to define the atom. His theory had four rules. Scientists still look at these rules regularly. The first rule states that all matter is made up of atoms, and atoms are indivisible and indestructible. The second rule states that all of the atoms in an element are the same in mass and in properties. The third rule states that a combination of different atoms creates a compound. The final rule is that a chemical reaction is a rearrangement of atoms. Since the time that Dalton came up with an atomic theory, some of its parts have been disproven. Dalton’s theory said that atoms are indivisible and indestructible in incorrect due to the fact that atoms can be divided further into subatomic particles such as neutrons, protons, and electrons. However, an atom is the smallest particle that takes place in a chemical reaction. Another thing that has been shown to be incorrect is that all atoms of a given element are the same mass. Some atoms in an element vary in mass and density. Such atoms of the same element are called isotopes. Isotopes are less common forms of each atom. Isotopes are considered to be the same atom because they have the same number of protons,