An Attempt to Add an Electron to the Nucleus of an Atom

Details An Attempt to Add an Electron to the Nucleus of an Atom An Attempt to Add an Electron to the Nucleus of an Atom

Publishing date

Jun 1928

URL

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1928phrv...31..940h&link_type=abstract

Journals

Physical Review, vol. 31, Issue 6, pp. 940-945

Science

Physics

Type

Scientific paper

Abstract

Since the present theories of the atom indicate that an electron is attracted by the atom nucleus, they also suggest that the principal difficulty in accomplishing the addition of an electron is in obtaining such (unknown) conditions as make the attraction effective. Electrons with a velocity corresponding to 138,000 to 145,000 volts were caused to strike the surface of liquid mercury. The mercury served as an anti-cathode in an x-ray tube. (This work was done before the electron tube of Coolidge was available.) When the experiments were begun it was not expected that positive results would be attained, since either the voltage may be too low, or the number of electrons shot into the surface (4×1021) too small, but it was thought to be of value to show this to be true. The addition of an electron to the nucleus of an atom of mercury should give an atom of gold. Since no gold was found in the exceedingly sensitive tests used, it is shown that either less than one in a billion of the electrons attached itself to an atom nucleus, or else all or a part of the nuclei produced were not sufficiently stable to endure for the period (24 to 48 hours) of the tests.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

An Attempt to Add an Electron to the Nucleus of an Atom does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with An Attempt to Add an Electron to the Nucleus of an Atom, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and An Attempt to Add an Electron to the Nucleus of an Atom will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1671196