Download Democritus - Blackboard

Democritus
By: Trina Laffey and Logan Hellinger
Life of Democritus
 Democritus was born in Abdera,
Greece in 460 B.C.
 He lived to be 90 and died in 370 B.C.
 He was never married
 He enjoyed traveling and traveled to
many countries
The Idea of the Atom Around 400 B.C.
 Democritus’ mentor Leucippus originally came up with





the atomic theory but Democritus adopted it.
His theory stated that everything was made up of two
things, atoms and the void that they move around in.
Democritus believed everything was made of tiny
particles that could eventually not be divisible.
He called these particles atomos which means indivisible
in Greek.
He believed atoms were indestructible.
Democritus was trying to find out if matter could be
divided indefinitely or if there was a limit.
Democritus’ Hypothesis
 His hypothesis stated:
 Atoms cannot be destroyed
 They are different sizes
 They are different shapes
 They vary in temperature
 They are invisible
 They are constantly moving
Democritus’ Theory
 All matter consists of invisible particles called atoms.
 Atoms are indestructible.
 Atoms are solid but invisible.
 Atoms are homogeneous.
 Atoms differ in size, shape, mass, position, and arrangement.
 Solids are made of small, pointy atoms.
 Liquids are made of large, round atoms.
 Oils are made of very fine, small atoms that can easily slip past
eachother.
Democritus’ Atomic Model
 He was the first person to create an atomic model, which
was merely a sphere and had no protons, neutrons or
electrons.
 His model helped people to understand the concept of the
atom, and it helped scientists study generic makeup and the
sciences behind them
Democritus’ Atomic Model (Con’t)
 It was believed that the solidness of a material depended on
the shapes of the atoms involved such as:
 Iron atoms were strong, linked with hooks, making a strong
solid object
 Water atoms are smooth and slippery and not really linked
 Air molecules are light and whirling, pervading all other atoms.
 Salt atoms are sharp and pointed due to their taste.
Video:
 Crash Course Chemistry
Works Cited:
 http://the-history-of-the-atom.wikispaces.com/Democritus
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democritus#Atomic_Hypot
hesis