The Separation of the Element Chlorine into Normal Chlorine and Meta-Chlorine, and the Positive Electron

Abstract

THE very important letter of Dr. Aston in NATURE of December 18, 1919, gives much evidence in favour of a theory of the structure and composition of the nuclei of complex atoms as published by me five years ago and in a number of more recent papers. This theory led me to the idea, as published at that time (Journal of the American Chemical Society, xxxvii., pp. 1367–96, especially pp. 1390, 1391, and 1387), that among the light elements magnesium, silicon, and chlorine, in addition to neon (as found by Thomson), are mixtures of isotopes. The atomic weights of the normal isotopes were given as 24 for magnesium, 28 for silicon, and 35 for chlorine. It was also stated that nickel, copper, zinc, and practically all the other elements between atomic numbers 28 and 80, the latter being mercury, are mixtures of isotopes; while radio-active evidence shows that elements 81 (thallium) to 92 (uranium) exist in isotopic forms. This theory was recently summarised in a paper sent to the Physical Review in May and November, 1919. This paper, as well as the others, should be consulted for the details of the theory.