The probable rate of heat emission from 1 gram weight of the emanation
can readily be deduced, assuming that the emanation has about 100 times
the molecular weight of hydrogen. Since 100 c.c. of the emanation would
weigh about 1 gram, the total heat emission from 1 gram of the emanation
is about 10⁹ gram calories.
It can readily be calculated that one pound weight of the emanation
would, at its maximum, radiate energy at the rate of about 10,000
horse-power. This radiation of energy would fall off with the time, but
the total emission of energy during the life of the emanation would
correspond to 60,000 horse-power days.
=250. Heating effects of uranium, thorium, and actinium.= Since the heat
emission of radium is a direct consequence of its bombardment by the α
particles expelled from its mass, it is to be expected that all the
radio-elements which emit α rays should also emit heat at a rate
proportional to their α ray activity.
Since the activity of pure radium is probably about two million times
that of uranium or thorium, the heat emission from 1 gram of thorium or
uranium should be about 5 × 10⁻⁵ gram calories per hour, or about 0·44
gram calories per year. This is a very small rate of generation of heat,
but it should be detectable if a large quantity of uranium or thorium is
employed. Experiments to determine the heating effect of thorium have
been made by Pegram[332]. Three kilograms of thorium oxide, enclosed in
a Dewar bulb, were kept in an ice-bath, and the difference of
temperature between the thorium and ice-bath determined by a set of
iron-constantan thermo-electric couples. The maximum difference of
temperature observed was 0·04° C., and, from the rate of change of
temperature, it was calculated that one gram of thorium oxide liberated
8 × 10⁻⁵ gram calories per hour. A more accurate determination of the
heat emission is in progress, but the results obtained are of the order
of magnitude to be expected.
=251. Energy emitted by a radio-active product.= An important
consequence follows from the fact that the heat emission is a measure of
the energy of the expelled α particles. If each atom of each product
emits α particles, the total emission of energy from 1 gram of the
product can at once be determined. The α particles from the different
products are projected with about the same velocity, and consequently
carry off about the same amount of energy. Now it has been shown that
the energy of each α particle expelled from radium is about 5·9 × 10⁻⁶
ergs. Most of the products probably have an atomic weight in the
neighbourhood of 200. Since there are 3·6 × 10¹⁹ molecules in one cubic
centimetre of hydrogen, it can easily be calculated that there are about
3·6 × 10²¹ atoms in one gram of the product.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account