large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb_100
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb
English
12904
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. 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
 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. 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. E 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 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
large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/12904/worldswithinworlds_v1-3_1904_librivox_64kb_mp3/worldswithinworlds_01_asimov_64kb.flac