ERNEST RUTHERFORD

1871-1937

“THE FATHER OF NUCLEAR PHYSICS”

Famous british physicist.

He made important discoveries about the structure of the atom that turned nuclear physics upside down. This discovery changed how scientists understood the atom.

Ernest Rutherford was born on 30 August 1871 in Brightwater, a town near Nelson, New Zealand. He was the fourth of twelve children of a family of a farmer and a schoolteacher.

His family moved to different towns a few times, and each time he attends local schools.

 In 1887, he won a scholarship to study at Nelson College. After studying there, he won a scholarship to another college. There Rutherford became interested in science and started research work.

In 1888, Rutherford invented a device - a magnetic detector, one of the first devices which could receive electromagnetic waves.

In 1900, he married Mary Newton. One year after, their daughter, Eileen Mary, was born. Most of the years of his life were spent on scientific works which made him famous and respected professor, scientist and discoverer.

His life ended on October 19, 1937.

He is best known for his work in physics, especially for discovering the structure of the atom. In 1911, he showed that atoms have a tiny, dense centre called the nucleus, surrounded by empty space and electrons. This was a major discovery that changed the way scientists understood atoms.

Rutherford also made important contributions to the study of radioactivity, identifying different types of radiation: alpha, beta(in 1898), and gamma(1899). He won the Nobel

Prize in Chemistry in 1908 for his work in this field. Rutherford worked at several universities, including Cambridge, and mentored many future scientists. He died, but his discoveries laid the foundation for modern nuclear science.

Before talking about Rutherford's model of the atom, it's interesting to learn about the device he used in his experiments.

Rutherford’s experiment, known as the gold foil experiment, involved firing tiny particles called alpha particles at a very thin piece of gold foil and a screen behind it. He used a microscope to detect whether the particles pass thought the foil and hit the screen. Most of the particles passed through it, but some changed their directions. This surprising result led Rutherford to the conclusion that the most of the atom is empty. This experiment was key in developing the modern understanding of atomic structure. But the new question appeared: why did some alpha particles change their directions? It pushed scientists to new discoveries.

 Despite the fact that Ernest Rutherford was engaged in research in the field of physics, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. It was a big surprise for him and other scientists.

Rutherford was the first person from Oceania to receive the Nobel Prize.

He worked on the practical problems of detecting submarines during the First World War.

He loved playing golf and was fond of motor sports.

For his good personality, fellow students called him “Crocodile”.

You can see his photo on the New Zealand $100 banknote.

Chemical element 104, rutherfordium, is named after him.

While travelling for work, he once stopped at a boarding house. Ernest fell in love with Mary Newton, the daughter of a woman who owned a boarding house. She became his wife in 1900.

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THE PRESENTATION IS MADE BY HORDIEIEBA M.