I have recently performed a second series of experiments with these same
specimens of polonium, the activity of which was considerably
diminished, the interval of time between the two series of experiments
being three years.
In the former experiments, polonium nitrite was used; in the latter, the
polonium was in the state of metallic particles obtained by fusing the
nitrite with potassium cyanide.
I found that the radiation of polonium had preserved its essential
characteristics, and I discovered new results. The following, for
different values of the distance A T, are the fractions of the radiation
transmitted by a screen composed of four superposed very thin leaves of
beaten aluminium.
Distance A T, in centimetres 0 1·5 2·6
Percentage of rays transmitted by the screen 76 66 39
I also found that the fraction of the radiation absorbed by a given
screen increases with the thickness of the material already traversed by
the radiation, but this only occurs after the distance A T has reached a
certain value. When this distance is zero (the polonium being in contact
with the sheet, either outside or inside the condenser), it is observed
that with several similar superposed screens, each absorbs the same
fraction of the radiation it receives; otherwise expressed, the
intensity of the radiation diminishes therefore according to an
exponential law as a function of the thickness of the material
traversed, as in the case of homogeneous radiation transmitted by the
lamina without changing its nature.
The following numerical results are given with reference to these
experiments:—
For a distance A T equal to 1·5 c.m. a thin aluminium screen transmits
the fraction 0·51 of the radiation it receives when acting alone, and
the fraction 0·34 of the radiation it receives when it is preceded by
another similar screen.
On the contrary, for a distance A T equal to zero, the same screen
transmits in both the cases considered the same fraction of the
radiation it receives, and this fraction is equal to 0·71; it is
therefore greater than in the preceding case.
The following numbers indicate for a distance A T equal to 0 and for a
succession of thin superposed screens, the ratio of the radiation
transmitted to the radiation received for each screen:—
Series of nine very thin copper Series of seven very thin aluminium
leaves. leaves.
0·72 0.69
0·78 0.94
0·75 0.95
0·77 0.91
0·70 0.92
0·77 0.93
0·69 0.94
0·79
0·68
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