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The idea that matter is composed of discrete units and can not be divided into any arbitrarily small quantities has been around for thousands Of years.

The idea that matter is composed of discrete units and can not be divided into any arbitrarily small quantities has been around for thousands Of years.

The earliest references to the concept of atoms date back to [[ancient India]] in the 6th century BCE. <ref>Gangopadhyaya, Mrinalkanti. ''Indian Atomism: History and Sources''. Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey: Humanities Press, 1981. ISBN 0-391-02177-X. The [[Nyaya]] and [[Vaisheshika]] schools developed elaborate theories on how atoms combined into more complex objects (first in pairs, then trios of pairs) [http://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/webdocs/AtomicStructure/Atom-Theory-in-India.html].

The earliest references to the concept of atoms date back to [[ancient India]] in the 6th century BCE. (Gangopadhyaya, Mrinalkanti. ''Indian Atomism: History and Sources''. Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey: Humanities Press, 1981. ISBN 0-391-02177-X). The [[Nyaya]] and [[Vaisheshika]] schools developed elaborate theories on how atoms combined into more complex objects (first in pairs, then trios of pairs) [http://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/webdocs/AtomicStructure/Atom-Theory-in-India.html].

The references to atoms in West, emerge a century later by [[Leucippus]] whose student, [[Democritus]], sytemized his views. In around 450 [[BCE]],  Democritus coined the term ''atomos'', which meant "uncuttable". Though both the Indian and Greek concepts of the atom were based purely on philosophy, modern science has retained the name coined by Democritus.

The references to atoms in West, emerge a century later by [[Leucippus]] whose student, [[Democritus]], sytemized his views. In around 450 [[BCE]],  Democritus coined the term ''atomos'', which meant "uncuttable". Though both the Indian and Greek concepts of the atom were based purely on philosophy, modern science has retained the name coined by Democritus.