Atom und Quantentheorie I Atomtheorie by Professor Dr Paul Kirchberger

Описание: This excerpt is from the 1922 publication "Atom- und Quantentheorie I. Atomtheorie" by Professor Dr. Paul Kirchberger, which serves as an introductory text in the Mathematisch-Physikalische Bibliothek series. The document provides an extensive overview of the historical development and foundations of atomic theory, starting with early concepts like Dalton's laws of chemical composition and the evolution of the concept of the atom and the molecule, emphasizing the work of scientists like Avogadro and Berzelius. It further discusses the periodic system of the elements, the kinetic theories of physics—including the calculation of the Loschmidt number—and the atomistic nature of electricity, detailing the properties of electrons and ions. Finally, the text extensively covers the then-new field of radioactivity, explaining the nature of alpha, beta, and gamma rays, the Rutherford-Soddy theory of atomic decay, the displacement rule, and the revolutionary Rutherford atomic model based on the nuclear structure of the atom.
This text is an excerpt from Paul Kirchberger's 1922 publication, "Atom- und Quantentheorie I. Atomtheorie," which serves as an introductory volume in the "Mathematisch-Physikalische Bibliothek" series, aimed at providing accessible explanations of complex scientific topics. The author presents a historical development of atomic theory, starting with the chemical foundations of atomism established by figures like Dalton, the challenges of determining atomic weights, and the subsequent advancements in organic chemistry through the concepts of radicals, substitution, and valence. Crucially, the text details the significance of the Periodic System of the Elements by Lothar Meyer and Mendelejeff, highlighting how it provided a framework for chemical relationships and necessitated the eventual move beyond the concept of indivisible atoms. The discussion then shifts to the physical evidence for atomism, focusing on the kinetic theory of gases, the determination of the Loschmidt Number, and the evidence for the atomic nature of electricity, culminating in the description of radioactivity and the revolutionary Rutherford-Soddy theory of atomic decay, which introduces the concepts of isotopes and the nuclear model of the atom, despite its inherent instability according to classical physics.