Ernest Rutherford: And the Explosion of AtomsAn engaging biography that captures the excitement of the early days of nuclear physics, Ernest Rutherford tells the story of the down-to-earth New Zealander who became one of the foremost pioneers of subatomic physics. Rutherford's achievements were numerous and included:* Inventing a detector for electromagnetic waves* Discovering the existence of alpha and beta rays in uranium radiation* Creating (with Frederick Soddy) the "disintegration theory" of radioactivity, which regards radioactive phenomena as atomic -- not molecular -- processes* Demonstrating that the inner structures of elements correspond with a group of lines that characterize them, which could then be assigned an atomic number and, more important, the properties of each element could be defined by this number* And his greatest contribution of all - he discovered that the atom had a nucleus and that it contained the positively charged protonFrom his early days as a scholarship student to the end of his life as he continued to work in his lab, Ernest Rutherford reveals the life and times of one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. |
Contents
Introduction | 8 |
Cambridge and Ray Physics | 10 |
McGill and the Explosion of Atoms | 32 |
Manchester and the Structure of Atoms | 57 |
War and the Promotion of Science | 83 |
The Center of Physics | 98 |
Chronology | 127 |
Glossary | 130 |
Periodic Table of the Elements | 133 |
| 134 | |
| 136 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accelerated activity alpha particle apparatus appeared atomic weight became become beta Bohr British called Cambridge cathode rays Cavendish charge chemical chemistry Cockcroft corpuscles Curie decay detection discovered discovery electric electrons elements emanation emission emitted energy English experiment field followed force four Frederick Soddy French gave Geiger German glass helium hydrogen Image Not Available important indicates ionization ions isotope known laboratory later light lines magnetic Manchester Mary mass material McGill McGill University metal Moseley move named nature needed neutron nitrogen Nobel prize nuclear nucleus observed passed periodic table physicists physics picture positive problem professor properties protons radiation radioactive radium received result returned Royal Rutherford scientific scientists showed similar Society Soddy text continued theory things Thomson thorium tion took tube turned United University uranium Zealand