Although Carl Wilhelm Scheele and Henry Cavendish had independently done so at about the same time, Rutherford is generally accorded the credit because his work was published first.
Meskipun Carl Wilhelm Scheele dan Henry Cavendish secara terpisah telah melakukan hal yang sama di kisaran waktu yang sama pula, Rutherford secara umum sesuai untuk menerima penghargaan tersebut karena karyanya dipublikasikan pertama kali.