John D. Barrow
British scientist (1952-2020)
Ernest Rutherford
New Zealand physicist (1871-1937)
Ernest Rutherford was a pioneering New Zealand physicist who made groundbreaking discoveries in atomic and nuclear physics. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the disintegration of elements and radioactive substances, and is known as the ‘father of nuclear physics’. Rutherford’s achievements include the discovery of radioactive half-life, the element radon, and the concept of the atom’s dense, charged nucleus.
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About the Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, named the proton. He is also credited with developing the atomic numbering system alongside Henry Moseley. His other achievements include advancing the fields of radio communications and ultrasound technology.
Rutherford became Director of the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge in 1919. Under his leadership, the neutron was discovered by James Chadwick in 1932. In the same year, the first controlled experiment to split the nucleus was performed by John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton, working under his direction. In honour of his scientific advancements, Rutherford was recognised as a baron of the United Kingdom. After his death in 1937, he was buried in Westminster Abbey near Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton. The chemical element rutherfordiumwas named after him in 1997.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ernest Rutherford was a New Zealand physicist who was a pioneering researcher in both atomic and nuclear physics. He has been described as ‘the father of nuclear physics’ and ‘the greatest experimentalist since Michael Faraday’.
In 1908, Ernest Rutherford was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry ‘for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances.’ He was the first Oceanian Nobel laureate, and the first to perform the awarded work in Canada.
Ernest Rutherford’s discoveries include the concept of radioactive half-life, the radioactive element radon, and the differentiation and naming of alpha and beta radiation. He also theorized that atoms have their charge concentrated in a very small nucleus, which was proven through the Rutherford gold foil experiment.
In 1917, Ernest Rutherford performed the first artificially-induced nuclear reaction by conducting experiments where nitrogen nuclei were bombarded with alpha particles. As a result, he discovered the emission of a subatomic particle which he initially called the ‘hydrogen atom’ and later named the proton.
Ernest Rutherford is also credited with developing the atomic numbering system alongside Henry Moseley. He advanced the fields of radio communications and ultrasound technology. Under his leadership at the Cavendish Laboratory, the neutron was discovered by James Chadwick in 1932, and the first controlled experiment to split the nucleus was performed by John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton.
In honor of his scientific advancements, Ernest Rutherford was recognized as a baron of the United Kingdom. After his death in 1937, he was buried in Westminster Abbey near Charles Darwin and Isaac Newton. The chemical element rutherfordium (104Rf) was named after him in 1997.
Ernest Rutherford was a New Zealand physicist who was born on August 30, 1871 and died on October 19, 1937. He was a pioneering researcher in both atomic and nuclear physics and is considered the ‘father of nuclear physics’.
4 Quotes by Ernest Rutherford
- 1.
Of all created comforts, God is the lender; you are the borrower, not the owner.
Ernest RutherfordNew Zealand physicist (1871-1937)
- 2.
You should never bet against anything in science at odds of more than about 1012 to 1.
Ernest RutherfordNew Zealand physicist (1871-1937)
- 3.
If your experiment needs statistics, you ought to have done a better experiment.
Ernest RutherfordNew Zealand physicist (1871-1937)
- 4.
All science is either physics or stamp collecting.
Ernest RutherfordNew Zealand physicist (1871-1937)