Download Ernest Rutherford Essay Research Paper Rutherford was

Ernest Rutherford Essay, Research Paper
Rutherford was born on August 30, 1871, in Nelson, New Zealand. He was educated at the
University of New Zealand and the University of Cambridge. He was a professor of physics at
McGill University in Montreal, Quebec from 1989 to 1907. He was also professor at the
University of Manchester in England. After 1919 he was professor of experimental physics and
director of the Cavendish Lab at the University of Cambridge moreover held a professorship,
after 1920, at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London.
Rutherford stated that an atom consists largely of empty space, with an electrically positive
nucleus in the center and electrically negative electrons orbiting the nucleus. He identified the 3
main components of radiation and named them alpha, beta, and gammy rays. Alpha particles are
actually the nuclei of helium atoms. Each alpha particle is made up of two protons and two
neutrons, with a charge of 2+ and a mass of 4 atomic mass units. On the average, their speed is
about 1/10 the speed of the light. Usually they travel only a few centimeters through air. They
can be stopped by a single sheet of paper. Alpha particles electrically charge molecules in the air
through which they travel. Beta particles consist of streams of electrons traveling at very high
speeds, often approaching the speed of light. They have a mass of 0.000 55 atomic mass unit and
a charge of 1-. They have a greater power to penetrate than alpha particles but less electrical
charge ability. Beta particles can be stopped by a thin sheet of aluminum. Gamma rays are type
of electromagnetic radiation. They are similar to X rays but have greater penetrating power than
X rays, alpha or beta particles. It takes several centimeters of lead and an even greater thickness
of iron to block gamma rays. Gamma rays, like alpha and beta particles, can ionize atoms they
strike. His study of radiation led to his formulation of the theory of atomic structure, which was
the first to describe the atom as adense nucleus about which electrons circulate in orbits.
He conducted his most important experiment in nuclear physics when he bombarded nitrogen
gas with alpha particles and obtained atoms on oxygen isotope and protons. This transmutation
of nitrogen into the oxygen was the first artificially induced nuclear reaction. It inspired he
intensive research of later scientists on other nuclear transformations and on the nature and
properties on radiation. In his experiment, Rutherford used the setup shown in the next page. As
shown in the drawing, Rutheford used a very thin sheet of gold as a target. On one side of the
foil was a lead box containing a radioactive particle. A small hole in the box permitted a narrow
stream of alpha particles to shoot out. These particles were directed at right angles to the surface
of the foil. Surrounding the foil was a screen coated with zinc sulfide. Each time an alpha
particles hit this coating, a flash of light, it was possible to see whether the alpha particles that
passed through the foil had been deflected. Rutherford and the British physicist Fedrick Soddy
developed the explanation of radioactivity that scientists accept today. The rutherford, a unit of
radioactivity was named in his honor.
Royal Society in 1903 and served as president of that institution from 1925 through 1930. His
successful experiment led him to be fellow of Royal Society. He awarded Nobel Prize in
chemistry. He died in London on October 19, 1937, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. He
also published many books. He wrote the book Radioactivity in 904 : Radiation from
Radioactive Substances in 1930, which he wrote with British physicists Sir James Chadwick and
Chales Drummond Ellis, and which has become standard text; and The Newer Alchemy in 1937.
His experiment brought new ideas of radiation by identifying three main radioactive particles. A
lot of scientist in today studies radioactivity according Rutherford?s theory.