What Is An Atom And How Do We Know?

Summary

This script explores the concept of atoms, the basic units of chemistry, and how their existence has been historically theorized and empirically confirmed. From Democritus's early hypothesis of indivisible 'Atomos' to the modern use of scanning tunneling microscopes for direct observation, the narrative traces the scientific journey of understanding atoms. It also touches on the periodic table, chemical reactions, and the atomic theory by John Dalton, concluding with the visualization of atoms and their composition, fostering curiosity about the fundamental building blocks of matter.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Atoms are the basic units of matter and the fundamental building blocks of chemistry.
• 📚 Scientists have identified 118 different types of atoms, known as elements, which are organized on the periodic table.
• 🔬 Atoms are too small to be seen with the naked eye, but their existence and properties can be inferred through various scientific methods.
• 🤔 Democritus, an ancient Greek philosopher, first proposed the concept of atoms as indivisible particles, although he lacked empirical evidence.
• 🧪 The work of Arabic scientists and later Lavoisier in the 1700s demonstrated that substances could be broken down into pure elements through chemical reactions.
• 🔬 Dalton's law of multiple proportions suggested that elements are made of small, indivisible units, which he called atoms.
• 📈 Einstein and Perrin's work in the early 20th century provided experimental evidence for the existence and size of atoms.
• 🔬 Advances in microscopy, such as the scanning tunneling microscope, allowed for the direct visualization of atoms.
• 🧲 Atoms can be further divided into subatomic particles, contradicting the original 'uncuttable' definition.
• 🌌 The animation was funded by the Casal Research Center and patrons, emphasizing the importance of scientific outreach and education.
• 🎮 The video also promoted a video game called 'Bond Breaker' for educational purposes, showcasing the intersection of gaming and chemistry.

Q & A

What are atoms and why are they important in chemistry?

Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of matter and are essential in chemistry because they are the smallest units of an element that retain the properties of that element. They are important because all matter is composed of atoms, and the study of their interactions forms the basis of chemical reactions.

How many types of atoms, or elements, have scientists discovered?

Scientists have discovered 118 types of atoms, which are referred to as elements.

What tool do scientists use to organize and study the properties of elements?

Scientists use the periodic table to organize and study the properties of elements.

Who is credited with first proposing the idea of an atom?

Democritus, an ancient Greek philosopher, is credited with first proposing the idea of an atom.

What does the term 'Atomos' mean and why did Democritus use it?

The term 'Atomos' means 'uncuttable' in Greek. Democritus used it because he believed that atoms were the smallest, indivisible particles of matter that could not be divided any further.

How did the Arabic world contribute to the understanding of atoms?

Arabic scientists developed complex processes of filtration, boiling, vapor collection, and cooling to extract pure substances from crude starting materials. This work laid the foundation for the understanding that matter could be divided into elements.

Who were the French scientists that contributed to the understanding of elements and their indivisibility?

Marianne Poulain and Antoine Lavoisier were the French scientists who studied and built upon the work of their predecessors, concluding that certain pure substances, like oxygen and hydrogen, were elements and could not be broken down further.

What evidence supports the existence of atoms?

Evidence supporting the existence of atoms includes chemical reactions that demonstrate their effects, mathematical equations that calculate their sizes, and direct visual confirmation through technologies like the scanning tunneling microscope.

What was John Dalton's contribution to the understanding of atoms?

John Dalton observed patterns in the quantities of elements used in chemical reactions, suggesting that elements are made of tiny, indivisible units called atoms. He proposed the atomic theory, which states that all matter is composed of atoms.

Who confirmed the existence of atoms through experiments based on Einstein's work?

Jean Perrin, a French physicist, used Einstein's concepts to perform experiments that confirmed the existence of atoms beyond reasonable doubt.

How did the scanning tunneling microscope change our understanding of atoms?

The scanning tunneling microscope allowed scientists to take undistorted images of atoms, providing direct visual evidence of their existence and arrangement.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 The Concept of Atoms and Historical Insights

This paragraph introduces the concept of atoms as the fundamental building blocks of matter, akin to the ingredients in baked goods. It explains that there are 118 known elements, which can be found on the periodic table. The script challenges the viewer to question the existence of atoms, prompting a historical journey back to ancient Greece to meet Democritus, who first proposed the idea of indivisible particles he called 'atomos.' The paragraph also touches on the development of chemical processes in the Arabic world, leading to the identification of pure substances, and the work of Lavoisier in the 1700s, who, along with his wife, discovered that elements could not be broken down further, thus establishing the concept of elements as foundational substances.

05:03

🔬 The Discovery and Visualization of Atoms

This paragraph delves into the scientific quest to understand the composition of elements and the existence of atoms. It discusses John Dalton's observations on the consistent ratios in chemical reactions, leading him to propose the atomic theory. The script then moves to the 20th century, where Albert Einstein's work provided a method to confirm the existence and size of atoms, later experimentally validated by Jean Perrin. The development of the scanning tunneling microscope in the 1970s is highlighted as a technological breakthrough that allowed for the first visual confirmation of atoms. The paragraph concludes with the advancement of imaging techniques that have brought us closer to visualizing individual atoms, thus providing direct evidence for the existence of atoms as Democritus proposed over two millennia ago.

10:08

🎓 Conclusion and Further Exploration of Chemistry

The final paragraph serves as a conclusion to the video script, summarizing the journey from the theoretical concept of atoms to their direct visualization. It emphasizes the role of atoms as the basic units of chemistry and the scientific methods that have led to our current understanding. The script also mentions an animation series on the fundamentals of chemistry and encourages viewers to subscribe for more content. It acknowledges the funding sources for the animation, including the Casal Research Center and Patreon supporters, and promotes a video game called 'Bond Breaker' that teaches chemistry and nuclear physics. The paragraph ends with a call to stay curious and continue exploring the world of chemistry.

Keywords

💡Atom

An atom is the smallest unit of a chemical element that retains the properties of that element and cannot be broken down into smaller parts by chemical means. It is the fundamental building block of matter. In the video, atoms are the central concept, illustrating how everything from the screen displaying the video to the viewer's eyeballs is composed of these tiny, invisible building blocks.

💡Elements

Elements are pure substances that consist of only one type of atom and cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical reactions. The script mentions that scientists have discovered 118 kinds of elements, which are organized on the periodic table. Elements are the basis for understanding the composition of all matter in the universe.

💡Periodic Table

The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of chemical elements, organized based on their atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties. The script describes the periodic table as a chart where all elements are laid out, representing the variety of atoms that make up all matter.

💡Chemical Reactions

Chemical reactions involve the rearrangement of atoms to form new substances. In the video, chemical reactions are used as evidence for the existence of atoms, such as the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen, and the formation of rust from oxygen and iron.

💡Democritus

Democritus was an ancient Greek philosopher who is credited with the earliest known proposal of the concept of the atom. He believed that matter could be divided into indivisible and indestructible particles, which he called 'atomos' or 'uncuttable.' His idea is foundational to the modern understanding of atoms.

💡Evaporation

Evaporation is the process by which a liquid turns into a vapor, typically due to an increase in temperature. In the script, evaporation is mentioned as a method used historically to extract salt from seawater, which led to the discovery of more complex processes for separating and identifying pure substances.

💡Lavoisier

Antoine Lavoisier was a French chemist who made significant contributions to the study of chemistry, including the identification of 'elements' as substances that cannot be broken down further. The script refers to Lavoisier's work in determining that hydrogen and oxygen are elements based on their inability to be decomposed into simpler gases.

💡Compounds

Compounds are substances formed when two or more chemical elements are chemically bonded together. In the video, compounds such as rust, which is formed from the reaction of oxygen and iron, and water, which is formed from the reaction of oxygen and hydrogen, are examples of how elements can combine to create substances with new properties.

💡John Dalton

John Dalton was an English chemist and physicist who developed the modern atomic theory. The script describes Dalton's observation of consistent, small whole number ratios in chemical reactions, which led him to propose that elements are made of tiny, indivisible units called atoms.

💡Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM)

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a type of microscope that uses electron tunneling to scan and image surfaces at the atomic level. The script mentions the STM as a technological advancement that allowed for the first direct visual confirmation of the existence of atoms.

💡Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist who proposed an experiment and equation that could be used to confirm the existence of atoms and determine their size. His work, as mentioned in the script, was foundational to the later experiments by Jean Perrin that provided strong evidence for the existence of atoms.

Highlights

Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of chemistry, analogous to the ingredients in baked goods.

Scientists have discovered 118 kinds of atoms, known as elements, which can be found on the periodic table.

Ancient Greek philosopher Democritus first proposed the concept of atoms as indivisible particles.

The Arabic world advanced the science of extraction, leading to the discovery of pure substances.

Lavoisier identified elements as substances that cannot be broken down further through chemical reactions.

Elements can combine to form compounds with new properties, such as rust formed from oxygen and iron.

John Dalton observed patterns in chemical reactions, suggesting the existence of atoms of consistent size.

Albert Einstein's work in 1905 provided a method to confirm the existence and size of atoms.

Jean Perrin used Einstein's concept to experimentally confirm the existence of atoms.

Scanning tunneling microscopes allowed for the first visual images of atoms, contradicting the 'uncuttable' definition.

Technological advancements enabled the observation of individual nitrogen atoms using light scattering.

John Dalton's early drawings of atoms were remarkably close to modern visual confirmations.

Chemical reactions, mathematical equations, and new technologies provide evidence for the existence of atoms.

The animation series is funded by the Casal Research Center, focusing on atomic and molecular imaging.

The Castle Research Center also developed an educational video game called 'Bond Breaker'.

Support for the animation comes from Patreon patrons, emphasizing community involvement in educational content creation.

The animation concludes with an invitation to stay curious and subscribe for more chemistry fundamentals.

Transcripts

Stated clearly presents

What is an atom and how do we know

Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of chemistry

Just like baked goods are made of a collection of different types of ingredients

Matter itself is made of a collection of different types of atoms

scientists have discovered

118 kinds of atoms which we call elements. You can find them laid out on a chart called the periodic table

All things from the screen this video is displayed on to the eyeballs with which you're watching it are made of atoms

But a single atom is so small. It is impossible to see with the naked eye

So there you have it a random voice from a video you found on the Internet claims that everything is made from invisibly small atoms

You may now blindly accept this as fact and happily move on with your day, right?

No

Now you are extra curious you want to know for yourself exactly why it is that scientists think they know that atoms exist

Well to find out we must travel back in time to ancient Greece meet

Democritus the man that many historians credit for first clearly proposing the idea of an atom in

His day, it was thought by some that if you were to chop up a piece of matter an Apple for instance

You could just keep on shopping forever and ever there was no end to smallness

for reasons not fully agreed upon by historians this concept did not sit well with

Democritus

Instead he insisted that at some point you would reach particles so small and so indestructible

They could not be divided any further. He called them Atomos or atoms which means uncuttable

Now Democritus didn't actually have any evidence to back up his claim and because of that many people simply rejected it after all

That which can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence

Let's fast forward several hundred years and hop on over to the Arabic world

You probably know that salt can be extracted from seawater by simply letting it evaporate or boiling it dry

People have been doing this forever but missed

Jobber, eben high n and those that followed his work took the science of extraction to a whole new level through careful

Experimentation, they developed complex processes of filtration boiling vapor collection and cooling

They found that crude starting materials could be divided into multiple

Incredibly pure substances pure meaning they appeared to be consistent all the way through

unlike the complex mixtures of matter often found in nature in

The 1700s a French husband-and-wife scientific, duo Marianne poults and aunt Juan Lavoisier

studied and built upon the work of their Arabic predecessors

They found that certain pure substances could be broken down even further through chemical reactions

Water for example can be boiled into steam which is still water

but it can also be split into two pure gases hydrogen and

oxygen

No matter how hard the couple tried. However, they could not reduce oxygen or hydrogen into simpler gases

They concluded that the gases must be elements

Foundational substances that cannot be created by mixing other chemicals together and cannot be broken down any further

with this concept in mind

scientists everywhere began searching for and listing as many elements as they could eventually discovering all

118 listed on the modern periodic table

Some such as oxygen and hydrogen are gases at room temperature others are solids such as elemental carbon and gold

Others still are liquid at room temperature

Mercury and bromine. It was also found that under the right conditions

Pressure and temperature certain elements will react with each other upon mixing to form new substances with new properties

These are called compounds the elements oxygen and iron can react to form a brown powder known as rust

Oxygen and mercury react to form a toxic orange powder

Oxygen and hydrogen react to form a clear refreshing liquid. You probably know it as water

Though the steps may be complicated all of these reactions

Can be reversed elements can be re separated and the amount of each element we get back after

Separation is always exactly equal to the amount that had reacted to form the compound in the first place

wonderful

Elements are real and they appear to be essentially indestructible

But what are they made of if you were to zoom in on one chunk of pure gold?

For example, can you just keep zooming in for ever and ever saying nothing, but pure gold for infinity in?

The early 1800s a school teacher from England named John Dalton grew fascinated with chemistry

Along with conducting several experiments of his own he read about every experiment

He possibly could paying special attention to the quantities of each element used up in every chemical reaction in these numbers

He was surprised to find a pattern emerge when two elements can react to form multiple types of compounds

They always do so in small whole number ratios in this example here

We see that in order to transform a gram of carbon into pure carbon monoxide we need to add

1.33 grams of oxygen to turn a gram of carbon into pure carbon dioxide

We need to add exactly twice as much oxygen

That's two point six six grams

This and many other similar observations strongly suggests that oxygen and other elements are made of tiny

indivisible units

atoms

He didn't know exactly how small an atom was but the number suggested that the atoms of a single element

Were all nearly identical in size to each other but different in size to the atoms found in other elements in

1808 he wrote a

560 page book that briefly mentioned his discovery it even came with some quite beautiful drawings

While scientists weren't fully convinced that atoms were real

they did find the concept of atoms extremely useful it helped them make accurate predictions and perform cleaner chemical reactions in

1905 Albert Einstein hold on there in 1905. He was quite a bit younger than that. There we go in

1905 Albert Einstein proposed an experiment and produced an equation that could be used not only to confirm the existence of atoms

but to determine exactly how big they are a few years later French physicist, Jean Perrin or I guess in French

That would be something a little more like jean pail used einstein's concept to actually do the experiments confirming beyond reasonable doubt

at least two other physicists and mathematicians

That atoms do in fact exist

Now if you happen to love math and possess an in-depth understanding of physics

Then great. You can just turn off this video right now and go read his book

But for the rest of us a little visual confirmation that atoms actually do exist would be nice, right?

Unfortunately individual atoms are far too small to be seen with normal light. The wavelength of light is just too great

This means that normal microscopes cannot see atoms in

the 70s a group of engineers led by GERD Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer began working on what they called the

scanning tunneling microscope a microscope

They hoped would let us take undistorted images of many different types of atoms

It uses a process called electron tunneling

to scan and

Essentially feel the surface of the sample much like you can feel around in the dark to get a picture of your surroundings

This is an actual scan of silicon atoms forming the surface of a crystal the colors here are

Artificial but this is real data showing the actual pattern of silicon atoms arranged in the sample

Later work by dr. Wilson Howe improved the technique and cleaned up the presentation of data

While quote feeling the atoms does give us good information

Researchers still wanted more a group led by dr

ara up carrion of the National Science Foundation's Castle Research Center

Discovered a way to use actual light to see atoms in the past

This was thought to be impossible

because the wavelength of light is so much larger than an atom but by shooting light at the tip of a probe in a modified

scanning tunneling microscope

They were able to essentially shrink the lights wavelengths and get it to scatter off the sample onto a detection screen

By moving the sample bit by bit hitting it with light again each time

They were able to piece together this image of a single nitrogen atom each pixel

Representing an individual data point from the scan if we smooth it out

Sharpen the edges and change their chosen color scheme

It is shocking to find how close John Dalton's old drawings

Actually were to reality our species has finally done it over

2,000 years after Democritus first proposed the idea of an atom we have now received direct visual confirmation

atoms

exist

So in summary, what is an atom?

atoms are the fundamental building blocks of

Chemistry, how do we know they exist?

Through chemical reactions we can witness their effects through mathematical equations combined with indirect observations

We can calculate their various sizes

And finally with the aid of new technologies such as the scanning tunneling microscope atoms can now be seen

While the word atom technically means uncuttable. We'll see in the next animation that atoms actually can be split apart

Atoms themselves are made of smaller pieces

I'm John Perry and that's how we know that atoms exist stated clearly

Well folks there we have it that was the first

animation in my four-part series on the basics of chemistry the fundamentals of chemistry

Hope you enjoyed it

If you did subscribe to this YouTube channel and click the little bell icon that makes sure that you'll you'll see the next

Animation when it comes up again. There's three more to go still. So make sure you're subscribed

this animation was funded in part by the Casal Research Center Castle that stands for chemistry at the

Space-time limit. This is a research group over at the University of California Irvine that does atomic and molecular

Imaging they take pictures of atoms and molecules

When they're not busy taking pictures of atoms and molecules, they do science outreach

They fund projects like this animation that you just watched and they also produced recently a video game called bond breaker

That is absolutely wonderful. It will teach you the basics of chemistry and a little bit of

Nuclear physics. It's totally free to use to play the download you can use it on your phone

You can use it on your computer. You can use it on your tablet. So go check that out as well

There is a link down in the video description

This animation was also funded in part by my patrons over on patreon.com forward slash

Stated clearly if you would like to join these wonderful people right here and supporting this youtube channel

I would create Li appreciate that these folks are awesome so long for now

Stay curious

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