CROOKES, WILLIAM. - CROOKES ON RADIOACTIVITY AND THE PRINCIPLE OF THE CONSERVATION OF ENERGY.

Sur la source de l'energie dans les corps radio-actifs.

(Paris, Gauthier-Villars), 1899. 4to. No wrappers. In: "Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de L'Academie des Sciences", Tome 128, No 3. Pp. (137-) 192. Entire issue offered). Crooke's paper: pp. 176-178.

First appearance of Crooke's statement that radioactivity seems to violate the principle of the conservation of energy.

"Despite his speculative powers, Crookes at first took a conservative view of this new science, for he could not believe that radioactive elements decayed spontaneously, since this seemed to imply a violation of the conservation of energy. It was his view, expressed between 1898 and 1900, that the source of activity was external to the radioactive element. He imagined that radium, say, had the ability to act as a Maxwellian demon and select from the atmosphere those air particles which were moving more swiftly than the average, absorb some of their energy, and eject them at a lower speed. This theory, which never received full publication, contravened the second law of thermodynamics; and although Crookes thought that he might have experimental support for it, his evidence did not measure up to the critical scrutiny of Stokes." (DSB).

The issue contains another notable paper HENRI BECQUEREL "Sur la dispersion anomale de la vapeur de sodium incandescante, et sur quelques conséquenceas de ce phénomene", pp. 145-151.

This theory, which never received full publication, Page 480 | Top of Articlecontravened the second law of thermodynamics; and although Crookes thought that he might have experimental support for it, his evidence did not measure up to the critical scrutiny of Stokes.

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