large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb_76
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb
English
12904
The various atoms formed in these three radioactive series were not all different in every way. THE VARIOUS ATOMS FORMED IN THESE THREE RADIOACTIVE SERIES WERE NOT ALL DIFFERENT IN EVERY WAY
utherford and his co-worker Frederick Soddy (1877-1956) showed that when uranium atoms gave off alpha particles, a new kind of atom was formed that was not uranium at all. It was this new atom that was eventually found to give off a beta particle, and then another atom of still another element was formed. This work of Rutherford and Soddy began a line of investigation that by 1907 had shown that there was a whole radioactive chain of elements, each one breaking down to the next in line by giving off either an alpha particle or a beta particle, until finally a lead atom was formed that was not radioactive. [Illustration: _Frederick Soddy_] There was, in short, a “radioactive series” beginning with uranium (atomic number 92) and ending with lead (atomic number 82). The same was true of thorium (atomic number 90), which began a series that also ended with lead. Still a third element, actinium (atomic number 89) was, at that time, the first known member of a series that also ended in lead. AND HIS CO WORKER FREDERIC SODDY EIGHTEEN SEVENTY SEVEN NINETEEN FIFTY SIX SHOWED THAT WHEN URANIUM ADAMS GAVE OFF ALPHA PARTICLES A NEW KIND OF ATOM WAS FORMED THAT WAS NOT URANIUM AT ALL IT WAS THIS NEW ATOM THAT WAS EVENTUALLY FOUND TO GIVE OFF A BATTER PARTICLE AND THEN ANOTHER ATOM OF STILL ANOTHER ELEMENT WAS FORMED THIS WORK OF RUTHORD AND SODDY BEGAN A LINE OF INVESTIGATION THAT BY NINETEEN O SEVEN HAD SHOWN THAT THERE WAS A WHOLE RADIOACTIVE CHAIN OF ELEMENTS EACH ONE BREAKING DOWN TO THE NEXT IN LINE BY GIVING OFF EITHER AN ALPHI PARTICLE OR A BEETA PARTICLE UNTIL FINALLY A LEAD ATOM WAS FORMED THAT WAS NOT RADIOACTIVE THERE WAS IN SHORT A RADIOACTIVE SERIES BEGINNING WITH URANIUM ATOMIC NUMBER NINETY TWO AND ENDING WITH LEAD ATOMIC NUMBER EIGHTY TWO THE SAME WAS TRUE OF THORIUM ATOMIC NUMBER NINETY WHICH BEGAN A SERIES THAT ALSO ENDED WITH LEAD STILL A THIRD ELEMENT ACTINIUM ATOMIC NUMBER EIGHTY NINE WAS AT THAT TIME THE FIRST KNOWN MEMBER OF A SERIES THAT ALSO ENDED IN LEAD
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