The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-12-05
MOVEMENT OF
ELECTR0NS
DESCRIBED
BY 4. w. Hull Of the Re
search Laboratory of the
Genera! Electric Company

Ann Arbor, Mich. Dee 5.-ENpcri-
mcnts bv which scientists have been
able to listen 70 the movement Of
clccttons, the smallest particles Of
all matter. were described here today
by Or \. W. Hut! Of the research ia
bolatory of the General Electric
Company at the annual meeting Of
the American Physical Society.
The vacuum tube am?litier in
which the ampIfication is carried
to Il hundred thon>and fold, and with
winch :; million fold can be reached,
makes this possible DR.. Hull stated.
I'hc vuud produced by the elections
can ed by bombardment Of the
ni;ttc is ciectrons. released from tn"
itot tiiamcnt. It is these elections,
which carry the current and winch
lnakc the operation of the tube pos
-iblc. The noise is therefore II fun
damental property of elccron ennis
sion, q characteristic Of the eiectron,
according TO pr. Hull. The expert
uIcnts have been conducted jointly by
Or. Hull and Dr.. H. H. Williams of
,hc University Of Michigan ut the
university.
The noise. due 10 the electrical oS-
cillation which is set up by the I'M
pacts OF the Individual electronS on
the plate, j. known As the Schrnt
effect. The energy Of each blow /,
extremely minute. but, like drops.
the energies OF the many individual
dual impacts add, and their sum be
comes very large. With sufficient
amp!ification Or. Hull stated, the
blows may produce Il roar like that
ii Niagara.
The clectron is the unit charge OF
electricity and the determination OF
its value i of the utmost import
ance. The oil drop method. devised
by Professor Nillikan in the physics
Laboratory OF The University OF Chi
cago, gave science its first accurate
measurements OF the charge of the
clectron Accurate as The expert
mcntS are. however. II i desirable
that they be checked by some indie
pendent method.
Mllikan'S method OF measuring the
charge OF an ciectron is based on
the influence of gravity and Of cleo
trc charges on minute oil "dropietS.'
These droplcts are so small that the
effect Of gravity causes them to fall
only 4 quarter of an inch in ten sec
onds.
In ha of -
drops with an at0mi2cr. occasionally
one becomes charged by friction; i.
g., it may carry an additional cleo
ton II then the droplct is between
two electrically charged plates it will
behave differently from the uncharg-
ed PARTICLES DR.. HUI! stated Those
which are not charged VIII fall The
charged particles will be attracted to
the positive plate. BY the use OF
the proper voltage between the
plates, these charged particles can
be made to fall more slowly, held
stationary, or caused to move up
ward. If two cloctrons, instead OF
one, are held by the droplet, the eff
feet is doubled. Measurements made
by this method give the value of the
clectronic charge very exactly. In
recognition of the Importance of this
work, the Noble prize in science for
last year was awarded to Professor
Millikan
Doctors Hull and Williams have
measured the charge of the electron
in a different way, by means of the
Schrot effect, and have opened a
field for research which promises to
add to the knowledge regarding the
elcctrcn and its properties.
1t was not such Il long time ago
that the electron was unknown, the
speaker declared First scientists
had the molecule. itself so small
that mans ability ever to see even
one Of the largest may seriously be
doubted Then came the atom, the
minute integral part of the mo!eculc
For a long time the atom was con
sidercd as the ultimate particle Of
matter. But each element presents
a different atom. Science was not
content to rest. 1t sought to connect
all phenomena, and the electron was
the result.
1t was discovered that all matter
Is compos ed OF electrons. the differ
ent substances resulting from the
different properties possessed by the
atoms according 20 the number and
arrangement Of the electrons they
contain.