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Sir William Crookes (1832–1919) Biography with special reference to X-rays
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Abstract
Sir William Crookes was one of the most famous scientists towards the end of the 19th and in the early 20th centuries and even today, his face with its waxed moustache is easily recognisable among scientists, (Fig. 1). His name is forever associated with the Crookes tube, a gas discharge tube used for the production of X-rays. He is also famous for being one of the few men who had actually produced X-rays in an experimental environment, but who never recognised them as such. He could have preceded Röntgen in the discovery of X-rays by some 15 years! He was a physicist, chemist and inventor, discovering the metal thallium in 1861 and devising the radiometer as a measuring device, and the spinthariscope. He used radium to study the artificial changes in colour of diamonds. Towards the latter part of his life he became interested in spiritualism and in some circles lost a certain amount of credibility because of this interest. He received many honours, including the 1907 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, President of the Royal Society and a knighthood.
Abstract
Sir William Crookes was one of the most famous scientists towards the end of the 19th and in the early 20th centuries and even today, his face with its waxed moustache is easily recognisable among scientists, (Fig. 1). His name is forever associated with the Crookes tube, a gas discharge tube used for the production of X-rays. He is also famous for being one of the few men who had actually produced X-rays in an experimental environment, but who never recognised them as such. He could have preceded Röntgen in the discovery of X-rays by some 15 years! He was a physicist, chemist and inventor, discovering the metal thallium in 1861 and devising the radiometer as a measuring device, and the spinthariscope. He used radium to study the artificial changes in colour of diamonds. Towards the latter part of his life he became interested in spiritualism and in some circles lost a certain amount of credibility because of this interest. He received many honours, including the 1907 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, President of the Royal Society and a knighthood.
Keywords
Sir William Crookes, Crookes family genealogy, thallium, X-rays, Crookes tubes, Maltese cross X-ray tube, mercury air pumps, radiometer, Hermann Sprengel, Johann Geissler, Julius Plücker, Johann Hittorf, Michael Faraday, Antoine-Henri Becquerel, discovery
About this articleTitle
Sir William Crookes (1832–1919) Biography with special reference to X-rays
Journal
Nowotwory. Journal of Oncology
Issue
Article type
Other materials agreed with the Editors
Pages
79-88
Published online
2017-08-24
Page views
734
Article views/downloads
1753
DOI
Bibliographic record
Nowotwory. Journal of Oncology 2017;67(1):79-88.
Keywords
Sir William Crookes
Crookes family genealogy
thallium
X-rays
Crookes tubes
Maltese cross X-ray tube
mercury air pumps
radiometer
Hermann Sprengel
Johann Geissler
Julius Plücker
Johann Hittorf
Michael Faraday
Antoine-Henri Becquerel
discovery
Authors
Richard F. Mould