Who first gave the name “Atom”?

The term “atom” was first introduced by the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus around 400 BCE. Democritus proposed that all matter is made up of tiny, indivisible particles, which he called atoms (from the Greek word “atomos,” meaning indivisible). He theorized that atoms are eternal, indestructible, and vary in shape and size, forming the different substances we see in the world.

Democritus’ idea of the atom was philosophical, not based on experimental evidence, because scientific experiments and instruments were not available at the time. However, his concept laid the foundation for modern atomic theory, which would be developed much later by scientists like John Dalton, J.J. Thomson, Ernest Rutherford, and Niels Bohr.

Other scientists mentioned in the options contributed to the development of atomic theory:

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  Bohr developed the planetary model of the atom, explaining how electrons orbit the nucleus.

  
  


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  Rutherford discovered the nucleus and proposed the nuclear model of the atom.

  
  


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  Archimedes made significant contributions to mathematics and physics, but he did not study atomic structure.

  
  

Understanding the history of the term “atom” is important in chemistry and physics because it shows how scientific concepts evolve over time. Democritus’ idea introduced the concept that matter is composed of fundamental, indivisible particles, which later became a cornerstone of atomic theory and molecular chemistry.

In summary, the name “Atom” was first given by Democritus. His philosophical insight about indivisible particles formed the initial foundation for modern chemistry and the study of matter.