Abstract
The ancient picture of a universe filled with matter composed of but a few fundamental elements faded after the scientific revolution. By the nineteenth century, it had been replaced by a far more lively and complex view in which the materials in nature were seen as a rich array of elements in countless combinations. Three of the four Aristotelian elements — earth, water, and air — survived as categories for describing the ordinary states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. The fourth element — fire — eventually became associated with ionized gases (plasmas).
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Science in the Twentieth Century |
Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
Pages | 585-598 |
Number of pages | 14 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781134406869 |
ISBN (Print) | 9057021722, 9789057021725 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2013 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Arts and Humanities