Summary

Jean-Baptiste Perrin's "Les Atomes" (often translated as "Atoms") presents the central thesis that atoms are not mere philosophical constructs but empirically observable physical entities. Through meticulous experimental evidence, Perrin demonstrates the reality of these fundamental particles, challenging prevailing mechanistic views that questioned their existence.

The book details experiments, particularly concerning Brownian motion and radioactivity, that provide quantitative proof of atomic magnitudes. It explains how these phenomena directly reveal the statistical behavior and properties of atoms. Readers gain an understanding of the experimental basis for atomic theory and the methods used to determine Avogadro's number and the size of atoms.

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Key concepts

Brownian Motion — The random movement of particles suspended in a fluid (a liquid or a gas) resulting from their collision with the fast-moving atoms or molecules in the fluid.
Avogadro's Number — The number of constituent particles (usually molecules, atoms, or ions) that are contained in the amount of substance given by one mole.
Radioactivity — The emission of particles and energy from the nucleus of an unstable atom.