large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb_97
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb
English
12904
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. 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
lium-3: Mass number, 3; 2 Protons, 1 Neutron, 2 Electrons Helium-4: Mass number, 4; 2 Protons, 2 Neutrons, 2 Electrons But what of ordinary lead that existed in the rocks far removed from any radioactive substances and that had presumably been stable through all the history of earth? Its atomic weight was 207.2. Was the stable lead that had no connection with radioactivity made 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?  ATOM TO BALANCE THAT POSITIVE NUCLEAR CHARGE THE DIFFERENCE WAS IN THE MASS OF THE NUCLEUS ONLY BUT WHAT OF ORDINARY LEAD THAT EXISTED IN THE ROCKS FAR REMOVED FROM ANY RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES AND THAT HAD PRESUMABLY BEEN STABLE THROUGH ALL THE HISTORY OF EARTH ITS ATOMIC WEIGHT WAS TWO O SEVEN POINT TWO WAS THE STABLE LEAD THAT HAD NO CONNECTION WITH RADIOA ACTIVITY MADE 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 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
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