(This image is from the first experimental image showing internal atomic structures). Here are the notes from Atoms Part 1 that we covered in class on Friday August 21, 2009.

Much of this material will help you with the objective questions on your homework guide for this week as well as Quiz 1 which starts next Thursday:

You can also read the original texts from the individuals we discussed on our online textsbook.

Kanada

“Some have claimed that Kanada also originated the concept of atom.

At one point it occurred to him that he cannot divide objects into smaller parts and thus came to the idea of a matter which cannot be divided further came into existence.

He called that indivisible matter as ‘ Anu ‘ .i.e. atom.”

al-Ghazali

(1058-1111 CE)

“Al-Ghazali argued that atoms are the only perpetual things in existence.

In his theory, al-Ghazali alluded to the possibility of dividing an atom.”

Democritus

(ca 460 BCE – 370 CE)

Democritus held everything to be composed of atoms, which are physically indivisible; that between atoms lies empty space; that atoms are indestructible; have always been, and always will be, in motion; that there are an infinite number of atoms, and kinds of atoms, which differ in shape, size, and temperature.

Democritus helped create the term atom which means “non-divisible” in Greek.

Aristotle

(384 BC – 322 BC)

Aristotle criticized Democritus for not providing an account for the cause of the original motion of atoms.

To Aristotle, all material was made of atoms with the exception of the Prime Mover.

Dividing Up the Atom

- Protons, Neutrons and Electrons: main components of the atom.
- Electron Orbitals: where electrons can be found around the nucleus.
- Atomic Number: Period Table organization. Number of Protons = Atomic Number
- Quarks: Six Flavors of Quarks which make up Protons and Neutrons (Up, Down, Top, Bottom, Strange, Charm)
- Strings?: Possible theory of smallest bits of material of matter that is under considerable contemporary debate.
- Atoms are mostly empty space
- Atoms don’t “touch”

Have a great weekend!