400 B.C., The Democritus Atom

Year: Between 460 B.C. and 370 B.C.
Chemist: Democritus
Contribution: The Democritus Atom Model

The ancient Greek philosopher Democritus was of the first to develop an atomic theory, and in fact believed that everything is made of atoms which cannot be physically divided and are always in motion. He believed atoms exhibited the physical traits of the compounds they sustained, so an atom's shape might be hooked, sharp, pointed, slippery, or smooth depending on how it behaved in its extended existence.

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That being said, Democritus's atoms could have looked any number of ways, but for the most part they were simply spheres, with special constructions added as needed.



Information Credits: Universe Today