atomic theory
1
3.6
- noun
- /əˈtɑːmɪk ˈθɪəri/
- Specialized
:
teoría atómica
- In science classes, we learn about atomic theory and its role in understanding matter.
- modern atomic theory
What does that mean in terms of what people thought they understood about atomic theory?
- What does that mean in terms of what people thought they understood about atomic theory?
- When the atomic theory came along, people realised that it explained where these thermal laws came from.
Examples
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One of the greatest discoveries of humanist scholars was a copy of Lucretius' poem On the Nature of Things, which made known to modern scientists the atomic theory of matter first formulated by Democritus of classical Greece.
Academic text (1990) -
The discovery of deuterium was probably the first instance in which the use of atomic theory led to the identification of a previously unknown isotope.
Academic text (2012) -
When the atomic theory came along, people realised that it explained where these thermal laws came from.
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Evolution is a fact, established with the same degree of confidence as our "theory" of the round earth, our germ "theory" of disease, and the atomic "theory" of matter.
Academic text (1993) -
I learned about the original atomic theory in 1969, and even way back then it came with a disclaimer: the electrons are not really in "orbit" around the nucleus.
Blog text (33) -
Modern atomic theory began in 1803 when John Dalton first linked the notion of atoms with the concepts of stoichiometry and chemical reaction.
Academic text (2006) -
The atomic theory explains how all matter is made of tiny particles called atoms.
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Many scientists contributed to the development of atomic theory over the centuries.
Synonyms
1
9.8
The idea that all matter is made of tiny particles too small to divide
A theory that says all matter is made of tiny particles that cannot be divided called atoms
A theory that says all matter is made of very small parts called atoms
How Microscopic
- Specialized
8
4.5
- Specialized
1
9.1
- Specialized
1
3.6
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'theory about atoms' is directly and transparently composed from 'atomic' (pertaining to atoms) + 'theory' (a set of ideas), so the MWE's sense is predictable from its parts. This straightforward, compositional structure is cross-linguistically regular and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Atomic theory comes from the old Greek word atom meaning 'cannot be cut'. Ancient thinkers imagined matter as tiny, uncut pieces, and that is why today atomic theory says all matter is made of very small particles called atoms.