Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

Author(s): Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 29

Atom in Modern Science
11
Reasoning that if fire atoms were added to iron or copper, it would turn into gold, the alchemists of Middle ages spent much time to make synthetic gold from cheaper metals. The fallacy of their theory and practice lay in their belief that metals were composite rather than elementary substances. The transformation of iron ore into metallic iron in the blast furnace is not due to a union of atoms as ancients believed, but quite the reverse. Most metallic ores are oxides and the process of making metal is the separation of oxygen atoms from the molecules of the oxide, leaving the atoms of pure metal. On the other hand the rust which appears on the surface of iron objects due to moisture is not earth substance left behind after the escape of fire atoms from the iron substance but the formation of iron oxide resulting from the union of iron atoms and oxygen atoms from the water or air.
1. Thus, whereas, an ancient scientist would express the processing of iron ore by the formula:
(a) Earth atom+fire atom-Iron atom
and the rusting of iron by: (b) Iron-Earth (rust) + Fire 2. The modern chemist would express the same by: (a) FeO2-Fe+O2 (b) Fe+O2-Fe02
(Fe-Ferrum (iron), O=Oxygen).
From the above discussion it is obvious that ancient concepts of the structure of matter and the nature of chemical transformations were basically correct. Their error lay in the misconception of what was composite and what was the elementary substance. In fact, none of the four elements listed by Empedocles is really elementary. Air is a misture of oxygen, nitrogen and other gases; water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen; earth has a very complex composition and fire atoms do not exist at all.
1. As we have remarked earlier, the word fire can be replaced by energy but
the idea of fire atoms itself was also partially revived in Quantum Theory of Light.