large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb_178
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb
English
12904
That left a neon ion carrying a single positive charge—an ion that could be written Ne⁺. THAT LEFT A NEON ION CARRYING A SINGLE POSITIVE CHARGE AN ION THAT COULD BE WRITTEN IN E
de up of atoms of still another isotope, one with a fractional atomic weight? Or could stable lead be made up of a mixture of isotopes, each of a different whole-number atomic weight and was the overall atomic weight a fraction only because it was an average? It was at the moment difficult to tell in the case of lead, but an answer came in connection with another element, the rare gas neon (atomic symbol Ne), which has an atomic weight of 20.2. Was that fractional atomic weight something that was possessed by all neon atoms without exception or was it the average of some lightweight atoms and some heavyweight ones? It would be a matter of crucial importance if isotopes of neon could be found, for neon had nothing to do with any of the radioactive series. If neon had isotopes then any element might have them. In 1912 Thomson was working on neon. He sent a stream of cathode-ray electrons through neon gas. The electrons smashed into the neon atoms and knocked an electron off some of them.  STILL ANOTHER ISOTOPE ONE WITH A FRACTIONAL ATOMIC WEIGHT OR COULD STABLE LEAD BE MADE UP OF A MIXTURE OF ISOTOPES EACH OF A DIFFERENT WHOLE NUMBER ATOMIC WEIGHT AND WAS THE OVERALL ATOMIC WEIGHT A FRACTION ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS AN AVERAGE IT WAS AT THE MOMENT DIFFICULT TO TELL IN THE CASE OF LEAD BUT AN ANSWER CAME IN CONNECTION WITH ANOTHER ELEMENT THE RARE GAS NEEON ATOMIC SYMBOL N E WHICH HAS AN ATOMIC WEIGHT OF TWENTY POINT TWO WAS THAT FRACTIONAL ATOMIC WEIGHT SOMETHING THAT WAS POSSESSED BY ALL NEEON ATOMS WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR WAS IT THE AVERAGE OF SOME LIGHT WEIGHT ATOMS AND SOME HEAVY WEIGHT ONES IT WOULD BE A MATTER OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE IF ISOTOPES OF NEEON COULD BE FOUND FOR NEEON HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF THE RADIOACTIVE SERIES IF NEEON HAD ISOTOPES THEN ANY ELEMENT MIGHT HAVE THEM IN NINETEEN TWELVE THOMPSON WAS WORKING ON NEEON HE SENT A STREAM OF CATHODE RE ELECTRONS THROUGH NEEON GAS THE ELECTRONS SMASHED INTO THE NEEON ATOMS AND KNOCKED AN ELECTRON OFF SOME OF THEM
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