element: Greek Concept of the Elements
Greek Concept of the Elements
The Greek philosophers proposed that there are basic substances from which all things are made. Empedocles proposed four basic “roots,” earth, air, fire, and water, and two forces, harmony and discord, joining and separating them. Plato called the roots
This theory was rejected by Aristotle, who expanded on Plato's theory. Aristotle believed that different forms (
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Discovery of the Elements
- Evolution of Modern Concepts
- Greek Concept of the Elements
- The Elements through the Ages
- Official Symbols and Names for the Elements
- Properties of the Elements
- Atomic Mass and Atomic Weight
- Isotopes
- Atomic Number and Mass Number
- The Atom
- Bibliography
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