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Democritus' only belief about atoms was that they were one of the possibilities when debating the structure of matter.

The Ancient Greeks loved to debate things, with a very strong liking for the abstract. One of the essentials for a debate is that one or more people should support one side, and one or more should support the other. If everyone agrees on something no debate is possible, which the Greeks would have regarded as no fun at all.

The original question was "Can matter be divided indefinitely, or will you eventually find a small unit which can not be further divided ?". Democritus argued that there was a limit, after which things become indivisible. The Greek word for indivisible was atomos from which we got the word atom. Many people feel that the word atom and the very concept of indivisibility,were the only two things of interest that came out of this great debate.

In fact, there was one more thing, that was conspicuous only by its absence. The Greeks argued, and argued, and argued; they discussed and debated and argued, and they talked and they talked and they talked. Not once did the Greeks look for evidence. Did they do lots of experiments ? Oh my goodness ! No! None at all. Not one. An experiment would have meant doing rather than talking; doing was work and work was done by slaves (of which they had many). No Greek would demean himself by working.

It is difficult for us, at this remove, to pass any judgment on the Greeks viewpoint. What we can say, with 20/20 hindsight, is that the Greeks contributed remarkably little to engineering and even less to physics or chemistry. However, their contribution to politics, philosophy and mathematics is a stunning legacy. They did much more than their share for the advancement of human knowledge.

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Why did the ancient Greeks reject Democritus' ideas about atoms?

The greeks rejected democritus's idea because they thought that there was something smaller than the atoms.


What was demicritus ideas?

Democritus formulated the first atomic theory. He said that atoms were tiny and constantly moving. Democritus was a Greek philosopher.


What is the name of the scientist credited with reviving Democritus' ideas regarding matter and atoms?

John dalton (Cheaters)


How did Dalton advance the atomic philosophy propose by democritus?

By using experimental methods Dalton transformed Democritus ideas on atoms into a scientific theory.


Was not among Democritus and ideas Matter consists of tiny particles called atoms. Atoms retain their identity in a chemical reaction. Atoms are indestructible. Atoms are indivisible.?

All is true; theory of Leukippus and Democritus was 2 500 yers ago only a theretical (but correct) supposition.


What ideas about the atom did Democritus and John Dalton share?

Democritus and John Dalton both believed that atoms were indivisible and made up all matter. They shared the idea that atoms were small, solid particles that could not be divided further.


What was democritus' ideas on particles?

Democritus proposed that all matter is made up of tiny, indivisible particles called atoms, which are constantly moving and interacting in an infinite void. He believed that the properties of substances are determined by the size, shape, and arrangement of their atoms. His ideas laid the foundation for the atomic theory of matter.


Why did it take 2000 years for scientists to confirm some of Democritus ideas about atoms?

Democritus gave a theory, but Aristotle shut him out. Everybody forgot about this, and there was no one looking into this, no progress was being made.


What were two main ideas did Democritus had?

Democritus believed in the concept of atomism, proposing that all matter is made up of indivisible, tiny particles called atoms. He also emphasized the role of void or empty space in between atoms to explain changes in matter.


Was democritus's proposal of the existence atoms based on scientific methods or ideas?

Yes, he based it off the scientific method by Mike Oxbig.


How did Dalton advance the atomic philosophy proposed by?

By using experimental methods Dalton transformed Democritus ideas on atoms into a scientific theory.


What is the contribution of democritus in physics?

Democritus was an ancient Greek philosopher who developed the concept of atomism, suggesting that all matter is made up of indivisible particles called atoms. His ideas laid the foundation for the modern atomic theory in physics, which states that matter is composed of discrete units. Democritus also proposed that different atoms have unique shapes and sizes, influencing their properties and interactions.