Show 210 STUDENT LIFE ing from each other in their power of penetration and being unequally deflected in a magnetic field He discovered that radium evolves heat spontaneously and remains constantly at a temperature slightly above that of the surroundiHe measured the ng- medium quantity of heat evolved and estimated that one gram of pure radium would yield one hundred calories per hour He found this calorific power to be practically the same at the temperature of liquid hydrogen as at ordinary tempera-ture- s and suggested that in all probability the heat of the sun is due to the spontaneous evolutiqn of heat from radio-activ- e bodies Curie’s discoveries have stimulated the development of new theories concerning the ultimate nature of matter and we may expect to see a substantial structure of theoretical chemistry erected upon the foundation he has established Curie was accidently knocked down by a carriage on the streets of Paris Aprii 19 1906 and died from the effects of the injuries received When Wilhelm Ostwald addressed an association of chemists in Paris a few months ago he sai"l “There is but one prince (of chemistry) in France and there is but one who is entitled to be his successor” As prince he referred to Moissan and as his only qualified successor Berthelot Henri Moissan was born in Paris September 28 He was an inventor and investigator of first rank Perhaps his greatest service to mankind was the invention of the electric furnace Until a few years ago the highest temperature that could be obtained was about 1800 degrees C which was produced by the oxyhydrogen flame In the electric furnace a temperature of 3500 degrees C can be reached Moissan succeeded in preparing diamonds in 1893 by dissolving carbon in molten iron and suddenly plunging the mass into cold water Globules of iron are formed which cool quickly on the outside forming a solid crust over a molten interior Iron in which carbon is dissolved expands upon cooling so that as the mass cools the carbon and iron of the interior are held under tremendous pressure Under these conditions the carbon crystalizes Diamonds large enough to be of commercial value have not yet been artificially prepared Moissan was the first to isolate fluorine which feat he accomplished in 1886 by the electrolysis of hydrofluoric acid He discovered a means of preparing calcium carbide by heating coke and lime in the electric furnace making the manufacture of this compound commercially profitable and materially reducing the cost of producing acetylene gas Moissan never patented his inventions He worked in a purely unselfish way for the advancement of science He 1852 |