Classical element
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| - | :''[[classical element]]'' | + | |
| + | '''Classical elements''' typically refer to [[Water (classical element)|water]], [[Earth (classical element)|earth]], [[Fire (classical element)|fire]], [[Air (classical element)|air]], and (later) [[Aether (classical element)|aether]], which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Ancient cultures in [[Ancient Greece|Greece]], [[Tibet#Early history|Tibet]], and [[Ancient India|India]] had similar lists, sometimes referring in local languages to "air" as "wind" and the fifth element as "void". | ||
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| + | These different cultures and even individual philosophers had widely varying explanations concerning their attributes and how they related to observable phenomena as well as [[cosmology]]. Sometimes these theories overlapped with [[mythology]] and were [[personification|personified in deities]]. Some of these interpretations included [[atomism]] (the idea of very small, indivisible portions of matter), but other interpretations considered the elements to be divisible into infinitely small pieces without changing their nature. | ||
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| + | While the classification of the material world in ancient [[Mahābhūta|Indian]], [[Ancient Egypt|Hellenistic Egypt]], and [[Ancient Greece#Science and technology|ancient Greece]] into Air, Earth, Fire and Water was more philosophical, during the [[Islamic Golden Age]] medieval middle eastern scientists used practical, experimental observation to classify materials. In Europe, the Ancient Greek concept, devised by [[Empedocles]], evolved into the system of [[Aristotle]], which evolved slightly into the medieval system, which for the first time in Europe became subject to experimental verification in the 1600s, during the [[Scientific Revolution]]. | ||
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| + | [[History of science#Modern science|Modern science]] does not support the classical elements as the material basis of the physical world. [[Atomic theory]] classifies atoms into more than a hundred [[chemical element]]s such as [[oxygen]], [[iron]], and [[Mercury (element)|mercury]]. These elements form [[chemical compound]]s and [[mixtures]], and under different temperatures and pressures, these substances can adopt different [[states of matter]]. The most commonly observed states of [[solid]], [[liquid]], [[gas]], and [[Plasma (physics)|plasma]] share many attributes with the classical elements of earth, water, air, and fire, respectively, but these states are due to similar behavior of different types of atoms at similar energy levels, and not due to containing a certain type of atom or a certain type of substance. | ||
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| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Elemental|Elemental (Renaissance alchemy)]] | ||
| + | *[[Arche|First principle (Pre-Socratic ''arche'' and Aristotelian substratum)]] | ||
| + | *[[Qi|First principle (Chinese ''qì'' and Japanese ''ki'')]] | ||
| + | *[[Prima materia|First principle (Prima materia in Alchemy)]] | ||
| + | *[[Periodic table|Periodic table of the elements (Modern science)]] | ||
| + | *[[Phlogiston theory|Phlogiston theory (History of science)]] | ||
| + | *[[Sulfur-mercury theory of metals]] | ||
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Classical elements typically refer to water, earth, fire, air, and (later) aether, which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances. Ancient cultures in Greece, Tibet, and India had similar lists, sometimes referring in local languages to "air" as "wind" and the fifth element as "void".
These different cultures and even individual philosophers had widely varying explanations concerning their attributes and how they related to observable phenomena as well as cosmology. Sometimes these theories overlapped with mythology and were personified in deities. Some of these interpretations included atomism (the idea of very small, indivisible portions of matter), but other interpretations considered the elements to be divisible into infinitely small pieces without changing their nature.
While the classification of the material world in ancient Indian, Hellenistic Egypt, and ancient Greece into Air, Earth, Fire and Water was more philosophical, during the Islamic Golden Age medieval middle eastern scientists used practical, experimental observation to classify materials. In Europe, the Ancient Greek concept, devised by Empedocles, evolved into the system of Aristotle, which evolved slightly into the medieval system, which for the first time in Europe became subject to experimental verification in the 1600s, during the Scientific Revolution.
Modern science does not support the classical elements as the material basis of the physical world. Atomic theory classifies atoms into more than a hundred chemical elements such as oxygen, iron, and mercury. These elements form chemical compounds and mixtures, and under different temperatures and pressures, these substances can adopt different states of matter. The most commonly observed states of solid, liquid, gas, and plasma share many attributes with the classical elements of earth, water, air, and fire, respectively, but these states are due to similar behavior of different types of atoms at similar energy levels, and not due to containing a certain type of atom or a certain type of substance.
See also
- Elemental (Renaissance alchemy)
- First principle (Pre-Socratic arche and Aristotelian substratum)
- First principle (Chinese qì and Japanese ki)
- First principle (Prima materia in Alchemy)
- Periodic table of the elements (Modern science)
- Phlogiston theory (History of science)
- Sulfur-mercury theory of metals
