Page:Radio-activity.djvu/448

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

reaching a practical maximum about 3 hours later. The heating effect of the emanation tube should thus increase for several hours after the introduction of the emanation.

In order to follow the rapid changes in the heating effect of radium, after removal of the emanation, Rutherford and Barnes (loc. cit.) used a pair of differential platinum thermometers. Each thermometer consisted of 35 cms. of fine platinum wire, wound carefully on the inside of a thin glass tube 5 mms. in diameter, forming a coil 3 cms. long. The glass tube containing the radium and also the tube containing the emanation were selected to slide easily into the interior of the coils, the wire thus being in direct contact with the glass envelope containing the source of heat. The change in resistance of the platinum thermometers, when the radium or emanation tube was transferred from one coil to the other, was readily measured.

Fig. 100.

The heating effect of the radium in radio-active equilibrium was first accurately determined. The radium tube was heated to drive off the emanation, which was rapidly condensed in a small glass tube 3 cms. long and 3 mms. internal diameter. After allowing a short time for temperature conditions to become steady, the heating effect of the radium tube was measured. The results are shown in Fig. 100. An observation could not be taken until