Foundations of Atomic Structure - Democritus and Dalton

How long have scientists known that everything is composed of atoms? As far back as the early Greeks, people were wondering about the composition of matter. Their early ideas were debated and discussed for literally hundreds of years until the eighteenth century when scientists began to assemble experimental evidence to support their theories. In this topic, you will learn about the history of the study of atomic structure.

Essential Questions

• What scientists helped aid in the discovery of the atom?
• How does Dalton’s model of the atom explain the Law of Constant Composition?