Question

1. What does it mean in Greek? When was it first used?

2. What is the difference between how the early Greeks used the term atomand how it is used today?

Answer 1

1.) In Greek , the atom term used for invisible , uncuttable . In Greek , prefix 'a' of word atom means 'not' and 'tomos' means 'cut'. Thus atoms mean a thing that is uncuttable.

The term 'atom' was used in 400 B.C. The atom word was firstly used by Leucippus of Miletus and his student Democritus of Abdera who were Greek philosophers. These philosophers were used to think that atoms were completely solid , with no internal structure. They explained that all matters were reducible to discrete ,small particles named Atoms.

2.) In early time, Greek philosophers believed that all matter is made up of tiny, invisible particles which they named Atoms. Also they explained that this unit Atom is not divisible or indestructible and they moved in infinite numbers through empty spaces until stopped. And the size,shape of atom describes the various properties of matter.

In modern times, philosophers explained more about the atom like atoms consists of protons and electrons where protons leads positive charge and electron leads negative charge and positively charged ions are sorrounded by electrons. The modern theory of atom was given by John Dalton , an English chemist .