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KINETIC THEORY 245 Atomic Hypothesis in Ancient India and Greece Though John Dalton is credited with the introduction of atomic viewpoint in modern science, scholars in ancient India and Greece conjectured long before the existence of atoms and molecules. In the Vaiseshika school of thought in India founded by Kanada (Sixth century B.C.) the atomic picture was developed in considerable detail. Atoms were thought to be eternal, indivisible, infinitesimal and ultimate parts of matter. It was argued that if matter could be subdivided without an end, there would be no difference between a mustard seed and the Meru mountain. The four kinds of atoms (Paramanu — Sanskrit word for the smallestparticle)postulatedwereBhoomi(Earth),Ap(water),Tejas(fire)andVayu(air)thathavecharacteristic mass and other attributes, were propounded. Akasa (space) was thought to have no atomic structure and was continuous and inert. Atoms combine to form different molecules (e.g. two atoms combine to form a diatomicmoleculedvyanuka,threeatomsformatryanukaoratriatomicmolecule),theirpropertiesdepending upon the nature and ratio of the constituent atoms. The size of the atoms was also estimated, by conjecture or by methods that are not known to us. The estimates vary. In Lalitavistara, a famous biography of the Buddha written mainly in the second century B.C., the estimate is close to the modern estimate of atomic size, of the order of m. In ancient Greece, Democritus (Fourth century B.C.) is best known for his atomic hypothesis. The word ‘atom’ means ‘indivisible’ in Greek. According to him, atoms differ from each other physically, in shape, size and other properties and this resulted in the different properties of the substances formed by their combination. The atoms of water were smooth and round and unable to ‘hook’ on to each other, which is why liquid /water flows easily. The atoms of earth were rough and jagged, so they held together to form hard substances. The atoms of fire were thorny which is why it caused painful burns. These fascinating ideas, despite their ingenuity, could not evolve much further, perhaps because they were intuitive conjectures and speculations not tested and modified by quantitative experiments - the hallmark of modern science. in Greece had suggested that matter may consist of matter. The theory is now well accepted by of indivisible constituents. The scientific ‘Atomic scientists. However even at the end of the Theory’ is usually credited to John Dalton. He nineteenth century there were famous scientists proposed the atomic theory to explain the laws who did not believe in atomic theory ! of definite and multiple proportions obeyed by From many observations, in recent times we elements when they combine into compounds. now know that molecules (made up of one or The first law says that any given compound has, more atoms) constitute matter. Electron a fixed proportion by mass of its constituents. microscopes and scanning tunnelling The second law says that when two elements microscopes enable us to even see them. The form more than one compound, for a fixed mass size of an atom is about an angstrom (10 -10 m). of one element, the masses of the other elements In solids, which are tightly packed, atoms are are in ratio of small integers. spaced about a few angstroms (2 Å) apart. In To explain the laws Dalton suggested, about liquids the separation between atoms is also 200 years ago, that the smallest constituents about the same. In liquids the atoms are not of an element are atoms. Atoms of one element as rigidly fixed as in solids, and can move are identical but differ from those of other around. This enables a liquid to flow. In gases elements. A small number of atoms of each the interatomic distances are in tens of element combine to form a molecule of the angstroms. The average distance a molecule compound. Gay Lussac’s law, also given in early can travel without colliding is called the mean 19 thcentury, states: When gases combine free path. The mean free path, in gases, is of chemically to yield another gas, their volumes the order of thousands of angstroms. The atoms are in the ratios of small integers. Avogadro’s are much freer in gases and can travel long law (or hypothesis) says: Equal volumes of all distances without colliding. If they are not gases at equal temperature and pressure have enclosed, gases disperse away. In solids and the same number of molecules. Avogadro’s law, liquids the closeness makes the interatomic force when combined with Dalton’s theory explains important. The force has a long range attraction Gay Lussac’s law. Since the elements are often and a short range repulsion. The atoms attract in the form of molecules, Dalton’s atomic theory when they are at a few angstroms but repel when can also be referred to as the molecular theory they come closer. The static appearance of a gas Reprint 2026-27