Definition of atomic

The word "atomic" originates from the Greek word "atomos," meaning "indivisible" or "uncuttable." The concept of atoms dates back to ancient Greece, where Democritus and Epicurus proposed that matter is composed of tiny, indivisible particles called atoms. The term "atomic" was first used in the 16th century by the German philosopher and chemist Andreas Libavius to describe the basic building blocks of matter. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the concept of atoms was further developed by scientists such as Robert Boyle and Antoine Lavoisier, who laid the groundwork for the development of modern atomic theory. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the discovery of subatomic particles such as electrons, protons, and neutrons led to a more precise understanding of the structure and behavior of atoms. Today, the term "atomic" is widely used in fields such as chemistry, physics, and nuclear engineering to describe the fundamental components of matter.