1. The Ancient Greeks proposed early theories of matter being made up of fundamental elements like earth, water, air and fire. 2. Alchemy aimed to purify materials through transmutation and contributed to the development of chemicals, though it was not a true science based on experiments. 3. Prominent alchemists like Jabir Ibn Hayyan proposed new elements like mercury and sulfur and influenced later scientific theories of elements and chemistry.

1. Lesson 3.1
The Classical Elements

2. Objectives
describe the ideas of the
Ancient Greeks on the
elements; and
describe the contributions
of the alchemists to the
science of chemistry.
1
At the end of
the lesson,
you should
be able to: 2

3. Learn about It!
What are Things Made Of?

4. Learn about It!
• Chemistry studies matter and its composition
• Matter is composed of smaller materials
• Philosophers tried to explain the small units of matter
What Are Things Made Of?

5. Learn about It!
• Used critical thinking
• Explained the origin of things
• Gave reasons for several phenomena
• Created foundations of knowledge that we have now
Greek Philosophers

6. Learn about It!
• Thales WATER
• Anaximenes AIR
• Xenophanes EARTH
• Heraclitus FIRE
• Empedocles EARTH, AIR,
WATER and FIRE
Greek Philosophers

7. Learn about It!
● These two philosophers
started atomism.
● Matter is made up of atomos
and space (void).
Democritus
(460 BC–370 BC)
Leucippus
(5th century BCE)

8. Learn about It!
The Prevailing Ideas During That Time:
● “Nature Elements” by Empedocles, Plato, and Aristotle
● Plato and his student Aristotle were believed by the people
during those times.
● Their ideas prevailed for a long time.

9. Learn about It!
Platonic Solids
● Plato founded the Academy in Athens and he used the
term “element.”
● He treated the elements: air, water, fire and earth, as
geometric solids.

10. Learn about It!
Aristotelian Elements
● Each element is a balance
between two qualities.
● He added a fifth element - aether.
● The fifth element is the finest of
all substances known as
quintessence.

11. Learn about It!
● The word alchemy can also be traced to the Arab word al-
khemia which means ‘The Black Land.”
● Alchemy is considered more of a protoscience. It is not based
on facts and experiments. It had been riddled with
superstitions, mythology and mysticism.
Alchemy

12. Learn about It!
● Philosopher’s stone - turns other metals to gold
● Elixir of life - gives eternal life
● Panacea - a cure for all diseases
Alchemy wants to find:

13. Learn about It!
● Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan - sulfur and mercury are elements
● Paracelsus - tria prima for good health
● Robert Boyle - author of Skeptical Chymist and proposed Boyle’s
Law
Here are some notable Alchemists:

14. Key Points
Atomism was one of the theories the ancient Greek natural
philosophers devised to explain the universe.
1
Alchemy is a philosophy practiced throughout Egypt and
Eurasia which aimed to purify and perfect materials through
transmutation.
Alchemy contributed to the vast uses of chemicals such as
inks, paints, and cosmetics.
2
3

15. Check Your Understanding
Identify what or who is being asked in the following statements.
1. He is the Greek philosopher who proposed that everything is made
up of primordial substances such as fire, water, earth and wind.
2. It is a philosophy practiced throughout Egypt and Eurasia which
aimed to purify and perfect materials through transmutation.
3. He is a Persian alchemist who suggested that elements, mercury
and sulfur should be added in the four classical elements.

16. Challenge Yourself
If cataclysmic event were to destroy all knowledge of science
what would be the most important knowledge to pass on to future
generations?

17. Bibliography
Chang, Raymond. 1997. Chemistry. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Charley, S. “How to Make an Element.” Accessed January 5, 2017, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/
nova/physics/make-an-element.html.
McQuarrie, D.A., and Rock, P.A. 1991. General Chemistry. 3rd ed. New York: W.H. Freeman.
Watson, G.W. “A Brief History of Element Discovery, Synthesis, and Analysis.” Open Knowledge Project.
Accessed January 5, 2017, http://in.okfn.org/files/2013/07/A-BriefHistory-of-Element-
DiscoverySynthesis-and-Analysis.pdf.
2011. Encyclopedia of Trivia. Accessed July 17, 2018.
https://encyclopaediaoftrivia.blogspot.com/2011/08/aristotle.html.
Feder, Michelle. 2018. Khan Academy. Accessed July 17, 2018. https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-
content/big-history-project/stars-and-elements/other-material3/a/from-alchemy-to-chemistry.

18. Bibliography
Schelenz, Robin. 2018. University of California. April 10. Accessed July 17, 2018.
https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/longform/how-ernest-o-lawrences-aha-moment-led-nuclear-physics.
n.d. WAYNE RESA. Accessed July 17, 2018.
http://www.resa.net/curriculum/curriculum/science/curriculum/chemistry/unitdoc/unit1/.
2018. Core Concepts: Periodic Table. Accessed July 18, 2018.
http://periodictable.rosendigital.com/staticfiles/reproducibles/Introducing_Lesson.pdf.
2018. "Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Information." nuclearconnect.org. Accessed July 20, 2018.
Center For Nuclear Science and Technology Information. (2018). Retrieved from nuclearconnect.org:
http://www.nuclearconnect.org/in-the-classroom/for-teachers/classroom-activities.
Gill, N.S. 2017. ThoughtCo. March 08. Accessed August 09, 2018. https://www.thoughtco.com/philosophy-of-
atomism-120427.