For decades physicists had been building up their theoryof matter entirely in terms of electrons and protons.
几十年以来,物理学家已经以电子和质子为基础建立起他们的物质理论。
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The idea was suggested by the chemical theoryof valency in which one is used to the idea of electrons in an atom forming closed shells which do not contribute at all to the valency.
In each theory, the chemical properties of atoms of other elements were tied to the gain or loss of electrons from the configuration of the nearest monatomic gas.