Ernest Rutherford: And the Explosion of Atoms (Oxford Portraits in Science) - Hardcover

Heilbron, J. L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195123786 ISBN 13: 9780195123784

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2003

Synopsis

An engaging biography that captures the excitement of the early days of nuclear physics, Ernest Rutherford tells the story of the down-to-earth New Zealander who became one of the foremost pioneers of subatomic physics. Rutherford's achievements were numerous and included:
* Inventing a detector for electromagnetic waves
* Discovering the existence of alpha and beta rays in uranium radiation
* Creating (with Frederick Soddy) the "disintegration theory" of radioactivity, which regards radioactive phenomena as atomic -- not molecular -- processes
* Demonstrating that the inner structures of elements correspond with a group of lines that characterize them, which could then be assigned an atomic number and, more important, the properties of each element could be defined by this number
* And his greatest contribution of all - he discovered that the atom had a nucleus and that it contained the positively charged proton
From his early days as a scholarship student to the end of his life as he continued to work in his lab, Ernest Rutherford reveals the life and times of one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century.

Oxford Portraits in Science is an on-going series of scientific biographies for young adults. Written by top scholars and writers, each biography examines the personality of its subject as well as the thought process leading to his or her discoveries. These illustrated biographies combine accessible technical information with compelling personal stories to portray the scientists whose work has shaped our understanding of the natural world.

About this title

About the Author

John L. Heilbron is at University of Berkeley.

Reviews

Grade 9 Up-An introduction to the life and times of the great physicist from his birth in New Zealand in 1871 to his death in 1937. Rutherford's contributions include inventing a detector for electromagnetic waves, creating the disintegration theory of radioactivity, and, first and foremost, discovering the basic structure of the atom. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908 and worked on methods of locating submarines during World War I. The book includes numerous captioned, black-and-white photographs of Rutherford, his colleagues, and their laboratories and equipment. Sidebars and diagrams help to explain the many complex principles and equations. The book covers Rutherford's research in fine detail as well as that of many of his colleagues including Hans Geiger, Marie Curie, Niels Bohr, and J. J. Thomson. The author has finely interwoven the political and social context of the time into the significance of his subject's contributions in this authoritative work. A challenging read, it is best suited for serious students with some background in science.
Maren Ostergard, Bellevue Regional Library, WA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195123786
• ISBN 13: 9780195123784
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144