V ~ L 8, . No. 8
RECENT BOOKS
texts available in the field of "Pandemic Chemistry." it occurs to the writer that such a work as this admirably meets the need and is strongly recommended. Chemistry can be made too popular but in this tent one finds a well-blended account of the science both from a practical and theoretical point of view. I t should fill an important niche in textbook literature. HALW. M ~ S E L E Y
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ficial disintegration of the nuclei of a number of the ordinarv elements in bombardment by swift or particles may in some cases build up a nucleus of . =eater mass by capture of the colliding o particle. For these reasons this book has been confined mainly t o an account of the radiations from active matter and their application t o physical problems. The book gives a concise and connected account of our knowledge of the radiations TULANB UN~YBIS~TV OP LOUISIANA from radioactive substances, and of the N E W ORLB*NS bearing of the results on the problem of Radiations from Radioactive Substances. the structure of the nucleus. SIR ERNESTRUTHERFORD, O.M., D.SC.. This objective the authors have acPh.D., LL.D., F.R.S.. Cavendish Pro- complished in masterly form. I n reading fessor of Experimental Physics in the this hook one becomes impressed with University of Cambridge; JAMESCHAD- the magnitude, great significance, and mcn, Ph.D., F.R.S., Fellow of Gonville importance of the pioneer rerevches and Caius College, Cambridge; and conducted for so many years in the Cavendish Laboratory an the nature of the C. D. ELLIS,Ph.D.. F.R.S.. Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. At The changes in the nucleus of the atom and University Press, Cambridge, England; of the radiations emitted during the The Macmillan Co.. New York City, transformation. 588 pp. 12 plate3 140 1930. xi Incorporated in this account are the figs. 16 X 23.5 cm. $5.50. experimental researches in this field I n the preface Rutherford states that which have been vigorously conducted since the publication of his book entitled in other laboratories. The book thus "Radioactive Substances and Their Radia- constitutes a full, coordinated m o u n t tions" (1912) there has been a very with discussion of the advances in this rapid growth of our knowledge of the field of knowledge. The authors do not transformation of radioactive substances fail to point out where the facts already and of the radiations which accompany obtained fall short in finding adequate interpretation. these transformations. Many thousands After a brief account of the theory of of new papers dealing with various aspects of the subject have been pub- successive transformations in radioactive lished. With the exception of a few changes, Chapter I, follow Chapters outstanding problems, the wonderful II-VII, pp. 38-190, dealing with the nature and properties of the a particle series of transformations of uranium. thorium. and actinium are now well and the great variety of effects which understood, and attention today tends are observed in its passage through matter. to be more and more concentrated on the I n Chapters VIII-XII, pp. 191384, study of the a, 8, and r rays which are considered the scattering of a and 8 accompany the transformations and of particles, and the collision of or particles the effects produced by these radiations with light atoms. Here are discussed in their passage through matter. The the occasional large deflections suffered great value of this information lies in its by an or particle in passing close t o a bearing on the structure of the nucleus nucleus and the information which has of the atom and of the energy changes been obtained in this way on the nuclear involved in its transformation. Moreover. structure of the atom and the nature and evidence is accumulating that the arti- variation of the forces dose t o the nudeus.
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JOURNAL OF CHE:MICAL EDUCATION
Then follows an account of the experimental observations on the artificial transformation of certain light elements resulting from the close collisions of the a particle with the atomic nucleus. Definite proof is given that the nuclei of some of the lighter elements can be transformed by the action of external agencies. The dimensions of radioactive nuclei, and the theory of their structure are considered in Chapter XI. The complex emission of 0 rays and the important part played by y rays in disintegration are described in Chapter XII. Then follows a chapter on the passage . . of 8 partides through matter, pointing out the difficulties encountered in this study. and the progress made. The experimental methods for measuring the absorption and scattering of rays have resulted in measuring the wave length of the stronger y rays and t o the determination of their relative intensities. Chapters XVI-XVIII give briefly an account of our knowledge of the ultrapenetrating y rays, known as cosmic rays, o h s w e d in our atmosphere, and of the radioactivity of matter in general with special reference t o the type of radioactivity shown by potassium and rubidium. Pp. 517-536 sumnrariee the state of our knowledge of the mass and structure of the nuclei of the common elements and their relation to the radioactive elements. I n the closing chapter, "Miscellaneous." a few pages are given to each of the fallowing topics: the counting of scintillations; the chemical properties of the radioactive elements; the preparation of sources of radon. radium-active deposit, and thorium-active deposit; the measurement of quantities of radium; and International Radium Standard. A short appendix gives the values for the fundamental constants which the authors have used in the numerical calculations in the book; a list of chemical elements with their atomic numbers and atomic weights; a periodic table of elements; and a supplementary note an
Aucusr, 1931
artificial disintegration by a particles. A table of isotopes is found on p. 522 in the chapter on Atomic Nuclei. This book will be a home and laboratory companion for students of radioactivity and those engaged in research work in this field. SCALUNDT HERMAN UNIVBRSITY OX MISSOU~I C o ~ u r s rMlssovnr ~,
Radioelements and Isotopes: Chemical Forces and Optical Properties of SubR University stances. K A ~ I M IFAJANS, of Munich. McGraw-Hill Book Co., 125 Inc., New York City, 1931. x PP. 14.75 X 22.75 cm. $2.50.
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This, the ninth volume of the George F. Baker Non-Resident Lectureship in Chemistry a t Cornell University, is a worthy continuation of the series of kctures which have been given hy outstanding European chemists and physicists during the past five years. The introductory lecture is devoted t o the "Development of Views Regarding the Nature of Chemical Forces." The remainder of the book is divided into two parts of part conunequal length. The *st sisting of a single chapter deals with the origin of the actinium series and with the stability of isotopes considered from a radioactive standpoint, though not limited to radioactive isotopes. The second part treats chemical forces and optical properties, a subject to which the author has recently directed much attention. I t is divided into seven chapters dealing with the following subjects: Outline of Atomic and Crystal Structures; The Ideal Ionic Linkage; Gencral Remarks on the Deformability of Ions; Change of the Refractivities of Ions in Molecules and Crystals; Transitions between Ideal Ionic Linkage and Non-Polar Linkare; Adsorption of Ions on Saltlike Crystals with Applications to Volumetric Analysis; and Photochemical Applications of Ion Adsorption. S. C. LIND
