<P> A number of physical elements ( such as platinum , tin and zinc ) have been known from antiquity , as they are found in their native form and are relatively simple to mine with primitive tools . Around 330 BCE , the Greek philosopher Aristotle proposed that everything is made up of a mixture of one or more roots , an idea that had originally been suggested by the Sicilian philosopher Empedocles . The four roots , which were later renamed as elements by Plato , were earth , water , air and fire . Similar ideas about these four elements also existed in other ancient traditions , such as Indian philosophy . While Aristotle and Plato understood the concept of an element , their ideas did nothing to advance the understanding of the nature of matter . </P>
<P> A number of physical elements ( such as platinum , tin and zinc ) have been known from antiquity , as they are found in their native form and are relatively simple to mine with primitive tools . Around 330 BCE , the Greek philosopher Aristotle proposed that everything is made up of a mixture of one or more roots , an idea that had originally been suggested by the Sicilian philosopher Empedocles . The four roots , which were later renamed as elements by Plato , were earth , water , air and fire . Similar ideas about these four elements also existed in other ancient traditions , such as Indian philosophy . While Aristotle and Plato understood the concept of an element , their ideas did nothing to advance the understanding of the nature of matter . </P>
who organized elements into four groups based on properties
who organized elements into four groups based on properties
Aristotle
Aristotle