Page 18 - All About History - Issue 11-14

Science

How to

SPLIT AN ATOM INSIDE ONE OF THE MOST

IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES

OF ALL TIME, 20TH CENTURY

Although a seemingly innocuous act in ANATOMY OF AN ATOM
and of itself, splitting the atom proved Neutrons
Neutrons – particles
to have immense consequences for Electrons with no electrical
humanity, both positive and negative.
Electrons are very small, charge – help give
While providing a vital source of energy, negatively charged particles atoms their mass.
it also led to the construction of one of that move quickly around They are slightly
the greatest and most feared weapons the atom’s nucleus. bigger than protons.
in history. This atomic weapon is so
powerful that the world has lived under
its spectre for decades. Read on to
discover the process behind the splitting
of the atom in what was one of history’s
defining scientific moments.
4 KEY PLAYERS Shells

ERNEST Electrons can only exist in
set energy levels, commonly
RUTHERFORD called shells. Each shell
has openings for a limited
1871-1937, BRIGHTWATER, number of electrons.
NEW ZEALAND Protons
The nucleus Protons are positively
The man credited
with first splitting
charged particles
the atom in 1917, his
discoveries led to
in the nucleus. All
The centre of the atom, and
the development of
elements are defined
almost all of its mass, is the
by how many protons
nuclear power.
nucleus. The nucleus is made
they have.
up of protons and neutrons.
SIR JOHN DOUGLAS
COCKCROFT
1897-1967, TODMODERN, UK

Along with physicist
Ernest Walton, he
was awarded a Nobel
Prize for splitting
lithium atoms into
helium nuclei.
ENRICO FERMI
1901-1954, ROME, ITALY

In 1934, Fermi
achieved nuclear
fission. He was
dubbed one of
the ‘fathers of the
atomic bomb.’
ALBERT EINSTEIN Get educated Find enough fissionable material
1879-1955, ULM, GERMANY 01 Ernest Rutherford is credited as the first man to split the 02 which you can start to produce by finding enough
Let’s not beat around the bush: it’s not going to be easy.
Splitting an atom requires large amounts of energy,
atom way back in 1917 and while the equipment has moved fissionable material. Most elements above iron in the periodic
His theory of
relativity provided
the basis for the
table could be considered candidates, the best of which should
on leaps and bounds since, he is considered one the greatest
construction of the
scientists ever. Top-level equipment is available but you need to
be ‘fissile’ (capable of sustaining a reaction). Uranium-235 and
atom bomb – which
know how to operate it – you’ll need to do some serious studying.
plutonium-239 are particularly good examples.
he resented.
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