A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF
RADIO-ACTIVITY
BY
 FRANCIS P. VENABLE, Ph.D., D.Sc., LL.D.
PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
AUTHOR OF
"A SHORT HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY,"
"PERIODIC LAW," ETC.
D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS
BOSTON     NEW YORK     CHICAGO
Copyright, 1917,
By D. C. Heath & Co.

IA7
[Pg iii]
PREFACE
I have gathered the material for this little book because I have foundit a necessary filling out of the course for my class in generalchemistry. Such a course dealing with the composition and structure ofmatter is left unfinished and in the air, as it were, unless themarvellous facts and deductions from the study of radio-activity arepresented and discussed. The usual page or two given in the presenttext-books are too condensed in their treatment to afford anyintelligent grasp of the subject, so I have put in book form thelectures which I have hitherto felt forced to give.
Perhaps the book may prove useful also to busy men in other branchesof science who wish to know something of radio-activity and have scantleisure in which to read the larger treatises.
It is needless to say that there is nothing original in the bookunless it be in part the grouping of facts and order of theirtreatment. I have made free use of the writings of Rutherford, Soddy,and J. J. Thomson, and would here express my debt to them—just a partof that indebtedness which we all feel to these masters. I wish alsoto acknowledge my obligations to Professor Bertram B. Boltwood for hishelpful suggestions in connection with this work.[Pg iv]
[Pg v]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
DISCOVERY OF RADIO-ACTIVITYPAGE
The beginning—Radio-active bodies—An atomic property—Discoveryof new radio-active bodies—Discovery of Polonium—Discoveryof Radium—Other radio-active bodies found1
CHAPTER II
PROPERTIES OF THE RADIATIONS
Ionization of Gases—Experimental confirmation—Application ofelectric field—Size and nature of ions—Photographing thetrack of the ray—Action of radiations on photographic plates—Dischargeof electrified bodies—Scintillations on phosphorescentbodies—Penetrating power—Magnetic deflection—Threetypes of rays—Alpha rays—Beta rays—Gamma rays—Measurementof radiations—Identifications of the rays7
CHAPTER III
CHANGES IN RADIO-ACTIVE BODIES
Radio-activity a permanent property—Induced activity—Discoveryof Uranium X—Conclusions drawn—Search for new radio-activebodies—Methods of investigation—Nature of theradiations—Life-periods—Equilibrium series17
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