It seems probable that the rate of production of emanation by thorium,
like the rate of production of Ur X and Th X, is independent of
conditions. The changes of emanating power of the various compounds by
moisture, heat, and solution must therefore be ascribed solely to an
alteration in the rate of escape of the emanation into the surrounding
gas and not to an alteration in the rate of its production in the
compound.
On this view, it is easy to see that slight changes in the mode of
preparation of a thorium compound may produce large changes in emanating
power. Such effects have been often observed, and must be ascribed to
slight physical changes in the precipitate. The fact that the rate of
production of the emanation is independent of the physical or chemical
conditions of the thorium, in which it is produced, is thus in harmony
with what had previously been observed for the radio-active products Ur
X and Th X.
Source of the Thorium Emanation.
=154.= Some experiments of Rutherford and Soddy[248] will now be
considered, which show that the thorium emanation is produced, not
directly by the thorium itself, but by the active product Th X.
When the Th X, by precipitation with ammonia, is removed from a quantity
of thorium nitrate, the precipitated thorium hydroxide does not at first
possess appreciable emanating power. This loss of emanating power is not
due, as in the case of the de-emanated oxide, to a retardation in the
rate of escape of the emanation produced; for the hydroxide, when
dissolved in acid, still gives off no emanation. On the other hand, the
solution, containing the Th X, possesses emanating power to a marked
degree. When the precipitated hydroxide and the Th X is left for some
time, it is found that the Th X decreases in emanating power, while the
hydroxide gradually regains its emanating power. After about a month’s
interval, the emanating power of the hydroxide has nearly reached a
maximum, while the emanating power of the Th X has almost disappeared.
The curves of decay and recovery of emanating power with time are found
to be exactly the same as the curves of decay and recovery of activity
of Th X and the precipitated hydroxide respectively, shown in Fig. 47.
The emanating power of Th X, as well as its activity, falls to half
value in four days, while the hydroxide regains half its final emanating
power as well as half its lost activity in the same interval.
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