The use of liquid hydrogen is very convenient for demonstrating the rate
of heat emission from a small amount of radium. From 0·7 gram of radium
bromide (which had been prepared only 10 days previously) 73 c.c. of gas
were given off per minute.
In later experiments P. Curie (_loc. cit._) found that the rate of
emission of heat from a given quantity of radium depended upon the time
which had elapsed since its preparation. The emission of heat was at
first small, but after a month’s interval practically attained a
maximum. If a radium compound is dissolved and placed in a sealed tube,
the rate of heat emission rises to the same maximum as that of an equal
quantity of radium in the solid state.
=245. Connection of the heat emission with the radiations.= The
observation of Curie that the rate of heat emission depended upon the
age of the radium preparation pointed to the conclusion that the
phenomenon of heat emission of radium was connected with the
radio-activity of that element. It had long been known that radium
compounds increased in activity for about a month after their
preparation, when they reached a steady state. It has been shown
(section 215), that this increase of activity is due to the continuous
production by the radium of the radio-active emanation, which is
occluded in the radium compound and adds its radiation to that of the
radium proper. It thus seemed probable that the heating effect was in
some way connected with the presence of the emanation. Some experiments
upon this point were made by Rutherford and Barnes[329]. In order to
measure the small amounts of heat emitted, a form of differential air
calorimeter shown in Fig. 98 was employed. Two equal glass flasks of
about 500 c.c. were filled with dry air at atmospheric pressure. These
flasks were connected through a glass =U=-tube filled with xylene, which
served as a manometer to determine any variation of pressure of the air
in the flasks. A small glass tube, closed at the lower end, was
introduced into the middle of each of the flasks. When a continuous
source of heat was introduced into the glass tube, the air surrounding
it was heated and the pressure was increased. The difference of
pressure, when a steady state was reached, was observed on the manometer
by means of a microscope with a micrometer scale in the eye-piece. On
placing the source of heat in the similar tube in the other flask, the
difference in pressure was reversed. In order to keep the apparatus at a
constant temperature, the two flasks were immersed in a water-bath,
which was kept well stirred.
[Illustration: Fig. 98.]
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