The Life of Ernest Rutherford Corinne Chiasson

The Life of Ernest Rutherford

• Corinne Chiasson

Table of Contents

Personal Information

• Ernest Rutherford was born on Aug. 30, 1871 in Bridgewater, New Zealand.

• He was born to father James and mother Martha.

• He was the forth of twelve children.

Rutherford was a successful student, though he did not show any real interest in science.

• Rutherford was a successful student, though he did not show any real interest in science.

• At Nelson College, he won chief prizes in classics, history, English literature, French,and mathematics.

• It was not until 1889, when he went to Canterbury College that he began to study chemistry and physics.

• In1895, Rutherford won a scholarship from Cambridge University where he carried out postgraduate research under J.J. Thomson (the father of the electron).

Canadian Contribution

• In 1898, Rutherford applied for the professorship of physics at McGill University, in Montreal.

• He was choosen at the age of 26.

• His research here was mainly radioactivity.

Radioactivity

• He identified the alpha, beta, and gamma radiation.

• In 1902, he and Frederick Soddy put forward the theory that a radioactive atom changes to a different atom on the emission of radiation.

This theory was based on:

• Radioactivity is unaffected by changes in external conditions.

• Radioactivity of uranium, thorium, and radium is maintained by production of new kinds of radioactive matter.

• Different chemical properties from the parent element.

• Huge heat emission is given off.

Published his first paper on radiation in 1903.

• Published his first paper on radiation in 1903.

• Published his first book on the subject in 1904.

• Professor of physics at the U. of Manchester in 1907

• Received the nobel prize in chemistry for his work in radioactivity in 1908.

Structure of the Atom

Gold Foil Experiment Lead To:

• Mass in central nucleus

• positive nucleus with a very small diameter

• charge balanced by electrons

• electrons a relatively long distance away

• basis of the ‘new’ nuclear science

Honors and Awards

• Honorary degrees from 13 British, 4 Dominion, and 8 foreign universities

• Rumford metal (1904)

• Copley metal of the Royal Society (1922)

• honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians

• President of the Rotal Society (1925-1930)

• Knighted in1914

Credits

• http://www.physics.gla.ac.uk/introPhy/Famous/rutherford.html

• http://www.physics.nus.edu.sg/~phyteoe/teaching/pc1325/lect15/

• http://www.lbl.gov/abc/experiments/Experiment7.html