Which of the following best describes Aristotle's belief about the nature of atoms?

• A. He believed that matter was continuous and not made up of indivisible atoms.
• B. He proposed that atoms were indivisible and made up all matter.
• C. He believed that atoms were made of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
• D. He suggested that atoms could be divided infinitely into smaller particles.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the historical context: Aristotle lived before the modern atomic theory was developed, so his ideas about matter were based on philosophical reasoning rather than experimental evidence.
2. Recall Aristotle's belief about matter: He proposed that matter is continuous, meaning it can be divided infinitely without ever reaching a smallest indivisible particle.
3. Contrast Aristotle's view with the atomic theory: Unlike Democritus, who suggested that matter is made of indivisible atoms, Aristotle rejected the idea of atoms as discrete particles.
4. Recognize that Aristotle did not know about subatomic particles such as protons, neutrons, and electrons, which were discovered much later.
5. Conclude that Aristotle's view best aligns with the idea that matter is continuous and not composed of indivisible atoms.