Do Atoms Exist?

The question whether atoms exist or not... belongs rather to metaphysics. In chemistry we have only to decide whether the assumption of atoms is an hypothesis adapted to the explanation of chemical phenomena... whether a further development of the atomic hypothesis promises to advance our knowledge of the mechanism of chemical phenomena... I rather expect that we shall some day find, for what we now call atoms, a mathematico-mechanical explanation, which will render an account of atomic weight, of atomicity, and of numerous other properties of the so-called atoms.

Notes:

This is a question for metaphysics, but the theory of atoms is useful and works in the laboratory.

Folksonomies: metaphysics theory

Taxonomies:
/science/phyiscs/atomic physics (0.759460)
/science/physics (0.243427)
/science/chemistry (0.230817)

Keywords:
atoms (0.905563 (negative:-0.023962)), so-called atoms (0.802736 (negative:-0.495476)), chemical phenomena (0.759584 (neutral:0.000000)), atomic hypothesis (0.607615 (neutral:0.000000)), atomic weight (0.569246 (negative:-0.397837)), numerous other properties (0.550402 (negative:-0.495476)), mathematico-mechanical explanation (0.534352 (negative:-0.308625)), metaphysics (0.478950 (positive:0.215011)), question (0.460079 (neutral:0.000000)), atomicity (0.400476 (neutral:0.000000)), assumption (0.373052 (neutral:0.000000)), mechanism (0.367415 (neutral:0.000000)), theory (0.356392 (positive:0.471513)), works (0.356097 (positive:0.471513)), laboratory (0.355949 (positive:0.471513)), chemistry (0.352911 (neutral:0.000000)), development (0.351732 (neutral:0.000000)), knowledge (0.351308 (neutral:0.000000))

Laboratory

Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book: Kekul� , August (1867), Laboratory , (1867), 1, 303., Retrieved on 2012-06-07