large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb_16
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb
English
12904
The Structure of the Atom Since radioactive atoms gave off either positively charged particles or negatively charged particles, it seemed reasonable to assume that atoms generally were made up of both types of electricity. THE STRUCTURE OF THE ATOM SINCE RADIOACTIVE ATOMS GAVE OFF EITHER POSITIVELY CHARGED PARTICLES OR NEGATIVELY CHARGED PARTICLES IT SEEMED REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT ATOMS GENERALLY WERE MADE UP OF BOTH TYPES OF ELECTRICITY
e, 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. Ever since Dalton had first advanced the atomic theory over a century earlier, chemists had assumed that atoms were the fundamental units of matter. They had assumed atoms were as small as anything could be and that they could not possibly be broken up into anything smaller. The discovery of the electron, however, had shown that some particles, at least, might be far smaller than any atom. Then, the investigations into radioactivity had shown that atoms of uranium and thorium spontaneously broke up into smaller particles, including electrons and alpha particles. It would seem, then, that atoms of these elements and, presumably, of all elements, were made up of still smaller particles and that among these particles were electrons. The atom had a structure and physicists became interested in discovering exactly what that structure was. S 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 EVER SINCE DALTON HAD FIRST ADVANCED THE ATOMIC THEORY OVER A CENTURY EARLIER CHEMISTS HAD ASSUMED THAT ATOMS WERE THE FUNDAMENTAL UNITS OF MATTER THEY HAD ASSUMED ATOMS WERE AS SMALL AS ANYTHING COULD BE AND THAT THEY COULD NOT POSSIBLY BE BROKEN UP INTO ANYTHING SMALLER THE DISCOVERY OF THE ELECTRON HOWEVER HAD SHOWN THAT SOME PARTICLES AT LEAST MIGHT BE FAR SMALLER THAN ANY ATOM THEN THE INVESTIGATIONS INTO RADIOA ACTIVITY HAD SHOWN THAT ATOMS OF URANIUM ANTHORIUM SPONTANEOUSLY BROKE UP INTO SMALLER PARTICLES INCLUDING ELECTRONS AND ALPHA PARTICLES IT WOULD SEEM THEN THAT ATOMS OF THESE ELEMENTS AND PRESUMABLY OF ALL ELEMENTS WERE MADE UP OF STILL SMALLER PARTICLES AND THAT AMONG THESE PARTICLES WERE ELECTRONS THE ATOM HAD A STRUCTURE AND PHYSICISTS BECAME INTERESTED IN DISCOVERING EXACTLY WHAT THAT STRUCTURE WAS
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