Thales and the Atomic Theory

Prepared by Yıldız Dizay Kaya

• modern atomic theory: an atom consists of a nucleus and electrons orbiting around it.

• orbits: trajectories on which electrons can sit.• orbits can be calculated using quantum mechanics.

The Bohr atom model

• Modern theory of atoms: it took centuries for human beings to reach.

• Many contributions by different scientists and philosophers.

• Thales made a great progress in his time about the structure of matter.

• lived about 600’s b.c.• He was born in the city of Miletus (It is the Milet town in the city of Aydın)• The dates of his life is not known precisely. Thales

• He was not only a thinker, he was involved business and politics.• Acoording to Heredotus’ history: Thales

predicted the eclipse of the sun.

The Theater of Miletus

• had been well known person in the early part of the 6. century b.c.

• Arsitotle: Thales is first philisopher in the Greek tradition.

• Bertnard Russell: The western philisophy begins with Thales.

• Thales and geometry: There is a theorem in geometry called Thales’ theorem about similar triangles.

Thales’ Theorem

Thales and the atomic theory:

• Aristotle: according to Thales the earth is superimposed upon water

• Thales: the primary building blocks of all things to be water.

• Therefore, he thought “things” as varying forms of one primary and ultimate element.

• Of course, today we know that his ideas about water is wrong.

• However, he actually suggested the same working hypothesis of modern atomic theory that all things are made up of atoms.

• Historically, it is very important for a philosopher to think that things have a common building block.

• Based on this, many claim that Thales is the father of both philosophy and physics

References:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thales

• http://www.rain.org/~rcurtis/thales.html

• http://www.bookrags.com/research/atomic-theory-woc/

• http://galileoandeinstein.physics.virginia.edu/lectures/thales.html

Thanks for listening and your attention!