---
title: "An Atomic Idea: How We Discovered the Atom"
description: "The diameter of an atom ranges from about 0.1 to 0.5 nanometers – they are a million times smaller than the thickest human hair.  We've known about atoms since the 17th century. But how do we know they exist if they are so small?"
date: "2016-10-11"
modified: "2017-01-30"
authors:
  - name: "Daniel Barker"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/daniel-barker"
url: "https://futurism.com/an-atomic-idea-how-we-discovered-the-atom"
categories:
  - "Physics"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "atomic"
  - "physics"
---

# An Atomic Idea: How We Discovered the Atom

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/A-Brief-History-of-the-Atomic-Theory_fb_v1.jpg>)

Atoms are small. Very small. Ridiculously so, even.

Atoms are so small that they're kind of impossible to comprehend. Of course, that wont stop us from trying. But wait, if atoms are so small, how do we know about them at all? You can't see them with a light microscope, or prod at an atom with a scalpel; how did we find them?

You may be surprised to hear that we've known about atoms since the seventeenth century, and people have proposed the existence of atoms since before the common era.

https://soundcloud.com/uncertaintyprinciple/the-atomic-idea

Uncertainty Principle is a podcast by [Daniel James Barker](<https://www.patreon.com/uncertaintyprinciple>)

Music by:

[Kai Engel](<http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/Chapter_One__Cold/Kai_Engel_-_Chapter_One_-_Cold_-_01_Snowfall_Intro>)

[Lee Rosevere](<http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_For_Podcasts_-_01_Lets_Start_at_the_Beginning>)

[Chris Zabriskie](<https://soundcloud.com/chriszabriskie/i-cant-imagine-where-id-be-without-it?in=chriszabriskie/sets/every-chris-zabriskie-album>)

[Joseph Barker](<https://soundcloud.com/internationalsockmonkey/on-behalf-of-my-parents-joseph>)

Check out the video by Ted-ed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQP4UJhNn0I

You can find Uncertainty Principle online [here.](<https://uncertaintyprinciplethepodcast.com/>)

Thanks for listening, & keep exploring.

## Author
Physics undergraduate at Hamline University in Saint Paul, MN. Podcaster. Science Writer.