Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford

Rutherford was born on August 30, 1871, in Nelson, New Zealand. He was educated at the University of New Zealand and the University of Cambridge. He was a professor of physics at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec from 1989 to 1907. He was also professor at the University of Manchester in England. After 1919 he was professor of experimental physics and director of the Cavendish Lab at the University of Cambridge moreover held a professorship, after 1920, at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London.
Rutherford stated that an atom consists largely of empty space, with an electrically positive nucleus in the center and electrically negative electrons orbiting the nucleus. He identified the 3 main components of radiation and named them alpha, beta, and gammy rays. Alpha particles are actually the nuclei of helium atoms. Each alpha particle is made up of two protons and two neutrons, with a charge of 2+ and a mass of 4 atomic mass units. On the average, their speed is about 1/10 the speed of the light. Usually they travel only a few centimeters through air. They can be stopped by a single sheet of paper. Alpha particles electrically charge molecules in the air through which they travel. Beta particles consist of streams of electrons traveling at very high speeds, often approaching the speed of light. They have a mass of 0.000 55 atomic mass unit and a charge of 1-. They have a greater power to penetrate than alpha particles but less electrical cha...

Ernest Rutherford

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