When did Democritus discover the atomic theory?

Democritus (c.460–c.370 bc) Greek philosopher and scientist. Only fragments of his work remain. He contributed to the theory of atomism, propounded by his teacher Leucippus, by suggesting that all matter consisted of tiny, indivisible particles. read more

Democritus was never married. His mentor, Leucippus, originally came up with the atomic theory, but it was then adopted by Democritus. The atomic theory stated that “The universe is composed of two elements: the atoms and the void in which they exist and move.” According to Democritus atoms were miniscule quantities of matter. 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

Democritus, an ancient Greek philosopher, was not the first to propose an atomic theory, as his mentor Leucippus originally proposed it. Democritus adopted the theory, developed it further, and provided a more detailed and systematic view of the physical world. read more