Answer:The idea of the atom and elements evolved over centuries, beginning with ancient philosophers like Democritus who imagined all matter was made of tiny, indivisible particles called "atomos." This remained a philosophical thought until the 1600s and 1700s, when early scientists like Robert Boyle and Antoine Lavoisier began defining elements and understanding how substances combined in chemical reactions. In the 1800s, John Dalton proposed the first atomic theory, suggesting that atoms were the building blocks of matter, each element made of unique atoms. This idea deepened as scientists discovered subatomic particles electrons, protons, and neutrons proving atoms weren't indivisible after all. By the 20th century, quantum mechanics transformed our understanding even further, introducing complex models of how electrons behave and how atoms bond. Today, with the help of the periodic table and particle physics, we recognize atoms as dynamic, structured systems and elements as distinct signatures of the universe’s creative design.