The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-11-16
The Atom Theory
ChemistSof Harvard Trying
to Find What the World is
Composed of

Cambridge. Mass, Nov. 1O.-The
atomic weights of nearly forty of
the ninety or mare chemical ele-
nlcnts out Of which everything in
the universe is built have been def
nitcly determined by Harvard
chemists in the course Of investiga-
tionS begun 35 years ago and eX-
tending up to the present time.
Attention was called to this pro-
longcd research today by the an
nouncement that largely on account
of his work in this field, Professor
Theodore w. Richards, Nobel prize
winner in 1914 and director Of the
Wolcott Gibbs Memorial Labora-
tory at Harvard. had been appoint
ed q member Of the international
committee Of scientists on ele-
ments, while Professor Gregory p.
Baxter, formerly pupil Of Profess
sor Richards and now an independ-
ent investigator at Harvard, had
bedn chosen for the international
coAl.nittcc on atomic weights.
The Harvard research is said to
to have thrown new light on the
i perplexing problem Of the nature of
matter, while data obtained are be-
ing used daily by thousands Of
chemists throughout the world.
The atomic weights Of the ele-
.nents are described as the relative
weights in which these elements
combine with each other to form
the countless substances of which
the universe is constructed. These
weights have usually been found to
be amazingly constant. Silver
/ from ali parts of the world and
from many different ores has al
ways the same atomic weight. Cop
per from Europe is identical in this
respect with that miner under the
bottom Of Lake Superior.
Professor BaXter's work long
since proved that iron and nickel
which fall from the sky in meteor
+! ties coming from the spaces FAR
bevond the earth's orbit have eX-
actk the, same atomic weights as
iron and nickel from the earth, a
fact cited as indicating in one re-
spect. at least, the unity of the uni
verse.
The most important single re-
suit of the Harvard study Of ato-
mic weights is said to be the dis
covcry, first proved definitely
some years ago by Professor Rich
ards and still holding good through
/ recent careful tests, that there en-
lists at least two kinds Of lead in
stead of one. 1t was found that
! lead from radium minerals, while
; it possesses properti, exactly SIM
liar to those of ordinary lead, has
a distinctly smaller atomic weight,
| 20G.1 as against 207.2.
The lead from the radium miner
ais is supposed to- come from the
decomposition of radium. Why its
atomic weight is different from that
of ordinary lead, whether ordinary
! lead may not itself prove to be a
mixture of lighter lead with 2
heavier variety. perhaps due to the
! disintegration Of the element thor
! ium, and whether other clements.
hitherto supposed to be final and
; indivisible, may not also prove to
be mixtures and thus open up a
whole series of new problems as to
the composition of matter, are
questions to which the answers are
being eagerly sought by scientists
over the world today.
Professor W. d. Harkins Of Chi
lcago has strong evidence that ordl-
nary chlorine is a mixture, and +.
/ w. Aston Of Cambridge, England,
by entirely different method, in
c.ca+ that many other elements
ar. probably likewise composed OF
atoms Of different weights. Harvard
I chemists are working at present TO
! try to find out more about these
two kinds of lead. but they are
i hampered by the fact that once
mixed. the two kinds cannot by any
ordinary chemical methods be sep
araied.