Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 66.djvu/48

44 electrons, and each metal imparts its own peculiar color to the glass, as has been shown by Maxwell Garnett. This phenomenon, however interesting, is not the one to which I desire to draw special attention. It must be remembered that the beakers have been exposed only to β-rays; α-rays have never been in contact with them; they have never been bombarded by what is usually called matter, except by the molecules of the surrounding air. Now these colored beakers are radioactive, and the radioactive film dissolves in water. After careful washing, the glass was no longer radioactive. The solution contains an emanation, for on bubbling air through it, and cooling the issuing air with liquid air, part of the radioactive matter was retained in the cooled tube. This substance can be carried into an electroscope by a current of air, after the liquid air has been withdrawn, and as long as the air-current passes, the electroscope is discharged; the period of decay of this emanation, however, is very rapid, and on ceasing the current of air, the leaves of the electroscope cease to be discharged. In having such a short period of existence, this emanation resembles the one from actinium.

Owing to the recess, only a commencement has been made with the investigation of the residue left on evaporation of the aqueous solution. On evaporation, the residue is strongly active. Some mercurous nitrate was then added to the dissolved residue, and it was treated with hydrochloric acid in excess, to precipitate mercurous chloride. The greater part of the active matter was thrown down with the mercurous chloride, hence it appears to form an insoluble chloride. The mercurous chloride retained its activity unchanged in amount for ten days. The filtrate from the mercurous chloride, on evaporation, turned out to be active; and on precipitating mercuric sulphide in it, the sulphide precipitate was also active; but its activity decayed in one day. The filtrate from the mercuric sulphide gave inactive precipitatates with ferric salts and ammonia, with zinc salts and ammonium sulphide, with calcium salts and ammonium carbonate; and on final evaporation, the residue was not radioactive. Hence the active matter forms an insoluble chloride and sulphide. The precipitated mercurous chloride and mercuric sulphide were dissolved in aqua regia, and the solution was evaporated. The residue was dissolved in water, and left the dish inactive. But the solution gave an insoluble sulphate, when barium chloride and sulphuric acid were added to it, hence the radioactive element forms an insoluble sulphate, as well as an insoluble chloride and sulphide.

This is a sample of the experiments which have been made. It may be remarked that the above results were obtained from a mixture of the potash and soda glass; somewhat different results were obtained from the potash glass alone. These changes appear to be due to the conversion of one or more of the constituents of the glass into other