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450 BCE
the four element model
Empedocles proposes that matter can be catagorized into four elements: earth, water, fire and air. Empedocles also believed that these elements could be mixed together in different propotions to make different substances, eg: 1 water + 1 earth = mud -
400 BCE
The atomic model
Democritus sugested that matter was made of particles. He called these particles atoms from the greek word "atomos" meaning invisible. this will mark the start of the human race discovering elements even though this theory was not widely accepted. -
350 BCE
350 BCE
Arisotle believed in the four element model. this is segnificant because he was a very influental and popular person so most of greece would have believed what he believed. -
alchemy
In this century people called alcemists and there job was to try to make gold out of cheep metals. they also came up with the chemical symbols for thing we've come to know as elements and compounds -
Robert Boyle
Robert Boyle discovered that water and air are not elements but mixtures -
discovering elements
Joseph Priestley was the first person to isolate oxygen.
Henry Cavendish was exparementing with putting metals in acid, he dicovered a flammable gas that was lighter than air. Henry Cavendish didn't know it but he just discovered hydrogen. -
protons, neutrons and electrons
At this time it was accepted that matter was made of elements and compounds but that could not explain static charges. So Micheal Faraday set out to explain this and what he found was that every partical is made of protons, neutrons and electrons.
