When people think about comparison and similarity, they quickly jump to immediate observations and obvious findings. They fail to perceive the most imperative and subtle attributes. Whether anyone knows it or not, everything that inhabits the world and even the universe is similar in at least one way. All these substances contain matter. Matter is the physical substance that contains everything from dusty nebulae to the food on your plate. It can be described as anything that has mass and takes up space. Inside this matter there are infinitesimal particles called atoms. So far, they are what scientists believe to be the smallest part of anything and can even be synthesized in the laboratory (Oxlade 7.) The knowledge scientists have about atoms is enormous, in contrast to their microscopic size. In fact, modern scientists would not even have obtained this knowledge if earlier chemists and physicists had not revealed what was covered. They paved the way for the vast expansion of consciousness and allowed the atom to be seen in its true form. However, these flawless discoveries did not originate from a single human being, but rather from a chronological sequence of random events. The idea that substances contain matter was not pulled out of thin air. Ancient Greek philosophers tried to prove the existence of matter, which began with everything that was made up of fire or water in different forms. Around 460 BC, a philosopher named Democritus described the smallest fragment of matter as indivisible. This gave rise to the name “atomos” which in Greek means “without cut”. Unfortunately, the most impactful philosopher, Aristotle, did not share what Democritus believed. For him, the four elements constituted matter. These conflicting arguments surprise... middle of paper... a lot of textbooks, but they eventually grew tired of the topic. Finally, he moved on to an elaborate and more interesting line of research. He decided that he would determine the charge of an electron (AIP). His famous “Oil Drop” experiment attracted the attention of many because it revealed the charge of an electron or “elementary electric charge”. Using two metal electrodes, it was possible to determine the masses of the oil droplets by balancing the downward gravitational force with the upward buoyant and electrical force on them. After repeating the tests, the charges were calculated to be exactly 1.5924 x 10-19 C. Conveniently, JJ Thomson previously used a ratio that helped Millikan conduct further research; load onto the mass. With this ratio Millikan also determined that the mass of an electron was 9.109 x 10-31 kg (KentChemistry).