Library > Science & Technology > Physical Science

In Search of the Atom

2001
This site is dedicated to exploring the evolution of atomic theory and the growth of scientific knowledge of the atom. Our site starts with the Greeks, who were the first to theorize the existence of unbreakable bits of matter, which they called atoms. Lacking the proper equipment, the Greeks were unable to do anything but think about atoms. Ancient alchemists were the next to study the properties of the atom and chemistry, although they were more interested in the practical applications of chemistry. Their search for gold contributed much to the foundations of modern chemistry. The atom was rediscovered in the eighteenth century when the first modern chemists began to scientifically examine the nature of matter. Their experiments eventually brought about widespread acceptance of atoms, and paved the way for quantum physicists in the twentieth century. Today, scientists now know that the atom is made up of different particles, and these particles are composed of even smaller particles.