large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb_7
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb
English
12904
Ever since Dalton had first advanced the atomic theory over a century earlier, chemists had assumed that atoms were the fundamental units of matter. EVER SINCE DALTON HAD FIRST ADVANCED THE ATOMIC THEORY OVER A CENTURY EARLIER CHEMISTS HAD ASSUMED THAT ATOMS WERE THE FUNDAMENTAL UNITS OF MATTER
and “beta particles”) just as the cathode rays had turned out to be. In 1900, indeed, Becquerel studied the beta particles and found them to be identical in mass and charge with electrons. They _were_ electrons. By 1906 Rutherford had worked out the nature of the alpha particles. They carried a positive electric charge that was twice as great as the electron’s negative charge. If an electron carried a charge that could be symbolized as -, then the charge of the alpha particle was ++. Furthermore, the alpha particle was much more massive than the electron. It was, indeed, as massive as a helium atom (the second lightest known atom) and four times as massive as a hydrogen atom. Nevertheless, the alpha particle can penetrate matter in a way in which atoms cannot, so that it seems much smaller in diameter than atoms are. The alpha particle, despite its mass, is another subatomic particle. Here, then, is the meeting point of electrons and of atoms—the particles of electricity and of matter.  PARTICLES AND BATELES JUST AS THE CATHODE RAYS HAD TURNED OUT TO BE IN NINETEEN HUNDRED INDEED BECARRAL STUDIED THE BATELES AND FOUND THEM TO BE IDENTICAL IN MASS AND CHARGE WITH ELECTRONS THEY WERE ELECTRONS BY NINETEEN O SIX RUTHERFORD HAD WORKED OUT THE NATURE OF THE ALPHA PARTICLES THEY CARRIED A POSITIVE CHARGE THAT WAS TWICE AS GREAT AS THE ELECTRON'S NEGATIVE CHARGE IF AN ELECTRON CARRIED A CHARGE THAT COULD BE SYMBOLIZED AS A MINOR SIGN THEN THE CHARGE OF THE ALPHA PARTICLE WAS TWO PLUS SIGNS FURTHERMORE THE ALPHA PARTICLE WAS MUCH MORE MASSIVE THAN THE ELECTRON IT WAS INDEED AS MASSIVE AS A HELIUM ATOM THE SECOND LIGHTEST KNOWN ATOM AND FOUR TIMES AS MASSIVE AS A HYDROGEN ATOM NEVERTHELESS THE ALPHA PARTICLE CAN PENETRATE MATTER IN A WAY WHICH ATOMS CANNOT SO THAT IT SEEMS MUCH SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN ATOMS ARE THE ALPHA PARTICLE DESPITE ITS MASS IS ANOTHER SUB ATOMIC PARTICLE HERE THEN IS THE MEETING POINT OF ELECTRONS AND OF ATOMS THE PARTICLES OF ELECTRICITY AND OF MATTER
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