How did Democritus contribute to the discovery of the atom?

Democritus, ancient Greek philosopher who is credited with the birth of atomic theory. Credit: ... This is due to his theory of universe that is made up of tiny “atoms”, which bears a striking resemblance to modern atomic theory. Though he is typically viewed as one of ... read more

He studied natural philosophy in Thrace, Athens, and Abdera, Greece. He enjoyed studying geometry as well. Democritus traveled to many places some of which including India, Egypt, and Babylon. Democritus was never married. His mentor, Leucippus, originally came up with the atomic theory, but it was then adopted by Democritus. read more

The first seeds for Democritus' theory came from his teacher and mentor, Leucippus, seeds that Democritus then adopted and further developed. As with many of the earliest ancient Greek philosophers, particularly the pre-Socratics, Democritus was interested in the discovery of first principles, those substances to which all subsequent substances could be essentially reduced. read more