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 through 1·9 mms. of lead, while the thickness of lead required in order to absorb half the γ rays of radium is about 9 mms.

The active deposit gave out α and β (and probably γ) rays. It was difficult to decide definitely whether actinium X gave out β as well as α rays. When the actinium X was heated to a red heat, the β activity was temporarily reduced to about half its initial value. This decrease was probably due to the removal of the active deposit, which, we have seen, is readily volatilized by heat. If the β ray activity cannot be further reduced, this would point to the conclusion that actinium X, as well as actinium B, gives out β rays, but the evidence so far obtained is not conclusive.

The ease with which the active deposit is volatilized by heat offers a very simple explanation of the initial peculiarities of the decay and recovery curves (Fig. 82) of actinium X. The activity of actinium X rises at first, but there is no corresponding decrease in the activity of the actinium left behind. It has been shown that the active deposit is soluble in ammonia, and, in consequence, is removed with the actinium X. The products actinium A and B and actinium X, immediately after separation, are in radio-active equilibrium and we should not therefore expect to find any increase of activity after removal, such as is observed in the case of thorium, where thorium A and B are not removed with thorium X. However, in heating the actinium X to drive off the ammonium salts, some of the active deposit is volatilized. After cooling, the amount of the active deposit increases to nearly its old value and there is a corresponding increase of the activity.

Fig. 84.

214. Products of Actinium. There is one very interesting point of distinction between the radio-active behaviour of thorium and actinium. The latter after removal of actinium X, shows only about 5 per cent. of the original activity, while thorium, after