The active material is placed in a little glass jar, _a_, open at O
(Fig. 11), in the centre of a closed space. Several plates, A, B, C, D,
E, placed in the enclosure become radio-active after one day’s exposure.
The activity is the same whatever be the nature of the plate, for equal
dimensions (lead, copper, aluminium, glass, ebonite, wax, cardboard,
paraffin). The activity of one face of one of the plates is greater in
proportion to the amount of free space about this face.
If the preceding experiment be repeated with the jar, _a_, completely
closed, no activity is induced.
The radiation of radium does not directly affect the production of
induced radio-activity. For this reason, in the preceding experiment the
plate D, screened from the radiation by a lead plate of thickness, P P,
is made as active as B and E.
Radio-activity is transmitted by the air by degrees from the radiating
body to the body to be excited. It can even be transmitted to a distance
by very narrow capillary tubes.
Induced radio-activity is both more intense and more regular if the
solid radium salt be replaced by an aqueous solution of the same.
Liquids are capable of acquiring induced radio-activity. For example,
pure water may be rendered active by placing it with a solution of a
radium salt within an enclosure.
[Illustration: FIG. 11]
Certain substances become luminous when placed in an active enclosure
(phosphorescent and fluorescent bodies, glass, paper, cotton, water,
salt solutions). Phosphorescent zinc sulphide is particularly brilliant
under the circumstances. The radio-activity of these luminous bodies is,
however, the same as that of a piece of a metal or other body which is
excited under the same conditions without becoming luminous.
Whatever be the substance made active in a closed vessel, this substance
acquires an activity which increases with length of time until it
attains a _limiting value_, always the same, for the same material and
the same experimental arrangement.
_The limit of induced radio-activity is independent of the nature and
pressure of the gas inside the active enclosure_ (air, hydrogen,
carbonic acid).
_The limit of induced radio-activity for the same enclosure depends only
on the quantity of radium present_ in the state of solution, and is
apparently proportional to it.
_Part played by Gases in the Phenomena of Induced Radio-activity._
_Emanation._—The gases present in an enclosure containing a solid salt
or a solution of a salt of radium are radio-active. This radio-activity
persists when the gas is drawn off with a tube and collected in a
test-tube. The sides of the test-tube become themselves radio-active,
and the glass of the test-tube is luminous in the dark. The activity and
luminosity of the test-tube finally completely disappear, but very
gradually, and a month afterwards radio-activity may still be detected.
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