Ernest Rutherford

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Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson, OM, FRS

Royal Society

The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, or even the Royal, is a learned society for science that was founded in 1660 and is considered by most to be the oldest such society still in existence....
(30 August 1871 – 19 October 1937) was a New Zealand-born British chemist

Chemist

A chemist is a scientist trained in the science of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density, acidity, size and shape....
who became known as the father of nuclear physics

Nuclear physics

Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei.The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power and nuclear weapons, but the research field is also the basis for a far wider range of applications, including in the medical sector , in materials engineering...
. He discovered that atoms have a small charged nucleus

Atomic nucleus

The nucleus of an atom is the very dense region, consisting of nucleons , at the center of an atom. Although the size of the nucleus varies considerably according to the mass of the atom, the size of the entire atom is comparatively constant....
, and thereby pioneered the Rutherford model

Rutherford model

The Rutherford model or planetary model is a model of the atom devised by Ernest Rutherford. Rutherford directed the famous Geiger-Marsden experiment in , which suggested to Rutherford's analysis that the Plum pudding model of the atom was incorrect....
(or planetary model, which later evolved into the Bohr model

Bohr model

In atomic physics, the Bohr model created by Niels Bohr depicts the atom as a small, positively charged atomic nucleus surrounded by electrons that travel in circular orbits around the nucleus—similar in structure to the solar system, but with electrostatic forces providing attraction, rather than gravity....
or orbital model) of the atom

Atom

|-! bgcolor=gray | Properties|-||}The atom is a basic unit of matter consisting of a dense, central atomic nucleus surrounded by a electron cloud of electric charge electrons....
, through his discovery of Rutherford scattering

Rutherford scattering

In physics, Rutherford scattering is a phenomenon that was explained by Ernest Rutherford in 1909, and led to the development of the Rutherford model of the atom, and eventually to the Bohr model....
with his gold foil experiment

Geiger-Marsden experiment

The Geiger?Marsden experiment was an experiment to probe the structure of the atom performed by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden in 1909, under the direction of Ernest Rutherford at the Physical Laboratories of the University of Manchester....
. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Pri...
in 1908.

st Rutherford was the son of James Rutherford, a farmer, and his wife Martha Thompson, originally from Hornchurch

Hornchurch

Hornchurch is a town in the London Borough of Havering in East London, England, England. It is a suburban development located east north-east of Charing Cross....
, Essex

Essex

Essex is a counties of England in the East of England England. The county town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common near the village of Langley, Essex, close to the Hertfordshire border, which reaches ....
, England.

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Early years

Ernest Rutherford was the son of James Rutherford, a farmer, and his wife Martha Thompson, originally from Hornchurch

Hornchurch

Hornchurch is a town in the London Borough of Havering in East London, England, England. It is a suburban development located east north-east of Charing Cross....
, Essex

Essex

Perth, Scotland

Perth is a town and former royal burgh in central Scotland. Sitting on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative headquarters of Perth and Kinross council area....
, Scotland, "to raise a little flax and a lot of children". Ernest was born at Spring Grove (now Brightwater

Brightwater

Brightwater is a town 20 kilometres southwest of Nelson, New Zealand in the South Island of New Zealand. It stands on the banks of the Wairoa River, Tasman, whose appearance inspired the town's name....
), near Nelson

Nelson, New Zealand

The city of Nelson is close to the centre of New Zealand. It lies at the shore of Tasman Bay, at the northern end of the South Island, and is the administrative centre of the Nelson region....
, New Zealand. His first name was mistakenly spelled Earnest when his birth was registered.

He studied at Havelock School and then Nelson College

Nelson College

Nelson College is a boys-only state secondary school in Nelson, New Zealand. In addition to the secondary school it runs a Preparatory School for year 7 and 8 boys, and it also hosts boarding students....
and won a scholarship

Bursary

A bursary is strictly an office for a bursar and his or her staff in a school or college.In modern English usage, the term has become synonymous with "bursary award", a Money award made by an institution to an individual or a group to assist the development of their education or research, intended to cover course related costs such as books...
to study at Canterbury College

University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates in the suburb of Ilam, New Zealand in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand....
, University of New Zealand

University of New Zealand

The University of New Zealand was the New Zealand university from 1870 to 1961. It was the sole New Zealand university, having a federal structure embracing several constituent colleges at various locations around New Zealand....
where he was president of the debating society, among other things. After gaining his BA

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin language Artium Baccalaureus, is an Undergraduate education bachelor's degree awarded for either a course or a program in either the liberal arts, the sciences or both....
, MA

Master of Arts (postgraduate)

A Master of Arts is a Postgraduate education academic degree master degree awarded by University in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in English language, Fine Arts, History, Humanities, Philosophy, Social Sciences or Theology and can be either fully-taught, research-based, or a combination of the two....
and BSc

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an bachelor's degree academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years ....
, and doing two years of research at the forefront of electrical technology, in 1895 Rutherford travelled to England for postgraduate study at the Cavendish Laboratory

Cavendish Laboratory

The Cavendish Laboratory is the University of Cambridge's Department of Physics, and is part of the university's School of Physical Sciences. It was opened in 1874 as a teaching laboratory and was initially located on the New Museums Site, Free School Lane, in the centre of Cambridge....
, University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge , located in Cambridge, England, is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation university in the Anglosphere....
(1895–1898), and he briefly held the world record for the distance over which electromagnetic waves could be detected. During the investigation of radioactivity he coined the terms alpha and beta to describe the two distinct types of radiation emitted by thorium

Thorium

Thorium is a chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. As a naturally occurring, slightly radioactive metal, it has been considered as an alternative nuclear fuel to uranium....
and uranium

Uranium

Uranium is a silvery-gray metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table that has the chemical symbol U and atomic number 92....
.

Middle years

In 1898 Rutherford was appointed to the chair of physics at McGill University

McGill University

McGill University is a Public university#Canada located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university....
in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal, or Montr?al, is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population....
, Canada, where he did the work that gained him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

DSC

DSC is an initialism or abbreviation used in many fields:in academia* D.Sc. ? a Doctor of Science* Doctor of Surgical Chiropody is a degree superseded in 1960's by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine...
from the University of New Zealand, and from 1900 to 1903 he was joined at McGill by the young Frederick Soddy

Frederick Soddy

Frederick Soddy was an England radiochemistry.He received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1921, and has a Soddy named for him on the far side of the Moon....
(Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Nobel Prize in Chemistry

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Pri...
, 1921) and they collaborated on research into the transmutation

Transmutation

Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one chemical element or isotope into another, which occurs through nuclear reactions. Natural transmutation occurs when radioactive chemical elements spontaneously decay over a long period of time and transform into other more stable elements....
of elements

Chemical element

A chemical element is a type of atom that is distinguished by its atomic number; that is, by the number of protons in its atomic nucleus. The term is also used to refer to a pure chemical Chemical substance composed of atoms with the same number of protons....
. Rutherford had demonstrated that radioactivity was the spontaneous disintegration of atom

Atom

Half-life

The half-life of a quantity whose value decreases with time is the interval required for the quantity to decay to half of its initial value. The concept originated in describing how long it takes atoms to undergo radioactive decay but also applies in a wide variety of other situations....
" – and created a practical application using this constant rate of decay as a clock

Clock

A clock is an instrument used for indicating and maintaining the time and passage thereof. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic languages words clagan and clocca meaning "bell"....
, which could then be used to help determine the age of the Earth

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in diameter, mass and density. It is also referred to as the World and Wiktionary:Terra.Note that by International Astronomical Union convention, the term "Terra" is used for naming extensive land masses, rather...
, which turned out to be much older than most of the scientists at the time believed.

In 1900 he married Mary Georgina Newton (1876–1945); they had one daughter, Eileen Mary (1901–1930), who married Ralph Fowler.

In 1907 Rutherford took the chair

Chair (academic department)

Chair is an equivalent of an academic department in Poland, a division of a university or school faculty devoted to a particular academic discipline....
of physics at the University of Manchester

University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is a "red brick university" civic university located in Manchester, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration....
. There along with Hans Geiger

Hans Geiger

Johannes Wilhelm Geiger was a Germany physicist. He is perhaps best known as the co-inventor of the Geiger counter and for the Geiger-Marsden experiment which discovered the atomic nucleus....
and Ernest Marsden

Ernest Marsden

Sir Ernest Marsden was a England-New Zealand physicist. He was born in Lancashire and educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, where an inter-house trophy rewarding academic excellence bears his name....
he carried out the Geiger-Marsden experiment

Geiger-Marsden experiment

Rutherford model

Charge

Charge or charged may refer to:...
d nucleus

Atomic nucleus

ORBit

ORBit is a Common Object Request Broker Architecture 2.4 compliant Object Request Broker . It features mature C , C++ and Python bindings, and less developed bindings for Perl, Lisp , Pascal , Ruby , and Tcl....
ed by electrons. In 1919 he became the first person to transmute one element

Chemical element

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N and atomic number 7 and atomic mass 14.00674?. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78% by volume of Earth's atmosphere....
into oxygen

Oxygen

Oxygen no O2 produced; 2) O2 produced, but absorbed in oceans & seabed rock; 3) O2 starts to gas out of the oceans, but is absorbed by land surfaces and formation of ozone layer; 4-5) O2 sinks filled and the gas accumulates]]...
through the nuclear reaction

Nuclear reaction

In nuclear physics, a nuclear reaction is the process in which two atomic nucleus or subatomic particles collide to produce products different from the initial particles....
¹⁴N(a,p)¹⁷O. In 1921, while working with Niels Bohr

Niels Bohr

Niels Henrik David Bohr was a Denmark physicist who made fundamental contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922....
(who postulated that electrons moved in specific orbits), Rutherford theorized about the existence of neutron

Neutron

The neutron is a subatomic particle with no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton.Neutrons are usually found in atomic nucleus....
s, which could somehow compensate for the repelling effect of the positive charges of proton

Proton

The proton is a subatomic particle with an electric charge of +1 elementary charge. It is found in the nucleus of each atom but is also stable by itself and has a second identity as the hydrogen ion, H+....
s by causing an attractive nuclear force

Nuclear force

The nuclear force is the force between two or more nucleons. It is responsible for binding of protons and neutrons into Atomic nucleus. To a large extent, this force can be understood in terms of the exchange of virtual light mesons, such as the pions....
and thus keeping the nuclei from breaking apart. Rutherford's theory of neutron

Neutron

The neutron is a subatomic particle with no net electric charge and a mass slightly larger than that of a proton.Neutrons are usually found in atomic nucleus....
s was proved in 1932 by his associate James Chadwick

James Chadwick

Sir James Chadwick, Order of the Companions of Honour, Fellows of the Royal Society was an English physicist and Nobel laureate in physics awarded for his discovery of the neutron....
, who in 1935 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for this discovery.

Later years

He was knighted

Knight Bachelor

The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Chivalric order....
in 1914. In 1919 he returned to the Cavendish as Director. Under him, Nobel Prizes were awarded to Chadwick

James Chadwick

John Cockcroft

Sir John Douglas Cockcroft, Order of Merit, Order of the Bath, Order of the British Empire was a United Kingdom physics. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics for splitting the atomic nucleus, and was instrumental in the development of nuclear power....
and Walton

Ernest Walton

Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton was an Ireland physicist and Nobel Prize for Physics for his work with John Cockcroft with "atom-smashing" experiments done at Cambridge University in the early 1930s....
for an experiment which was to be known as splitting the atom using a particle accelerator

Particle accelerator

A particle accelerator is a device that uses electric fields to propel electric charge Elementary particles to high speeds and to contain them....
, and Appleton

Edward Victor Appleton

Sir Edward Victor Appleton, Order of the British Empire, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Fellow of the Royal Society was an English physicist....
for demonstrating the existence of the ionosphere

Ionosphere

The ionosphere is the uppermost part of the Earth's atmosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere....
. He was admitted to the Order of Merit in 1925 and in 1931 was created Baron Rutherford of Nelson, of Cambridge in the County of Cambridge, a title that became extinct upon his unexpected death in hospital following an operation for an umbilical hernia

Umbilical hernia

Umbilical hernia is a congenital malformation, especially common in infants of African descent, and more frequent in girls. An Acquired umbilical hernia directly results from increased intra-abdominal pressure and are most commonly seen in obese individuals....
(1937). Since he was a peer, British protocol at that time required that he be operated on by a titled doctor, and the delay cost him his life. He is interred in Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic architecture Church , in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster....
, alongside J. J. Thomson

J. J. Thomson

Sir Joseph John ?J.J.? Thomson, Order of Merit , Fellow of the Royal Society was a United Kingdom physicist and Nobel laureate, credited for the discovery of the electron and of isotopes, and the invention of the mass spectrometer....
, and near Sir Isaac Newton.

Legacy

Rutherford's research, along with that of his protégé Sir Mark Oliphant

Mark Oliphant

Sir Marcus 'Mark' Laurence Elwin Oliphant Order of Australia, Order of the British Empire was an Australian physicist and Humanitarianism who played a fundamental role in the first experimental demonstration of nuclear fusion and the development of the Nuclear weapon....
, was instrumental in the convening of the Manhattan Project

Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project was the project to develop the first atomic weapon during World War II; involving the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada....
to develop the first nuclear weapon

Nuclear weapon

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either nuclear fission or a combination of fission and nuclear fusion....
s.

Many items bear Rutherford's name in honour of his life and work: Scientific discoveries

the element rutherfordium
Rutherfordium

Rutherfordium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Rf and atomic number 104.This is a radioactive synthetic element whose most stable known isotope is 267Rf with a half-life of approximately 1.3 hours....
, Rf, Z=104. (1997)

Institutions

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory is a scientific research laboratory at Chilton, Oxfordshire near Didcot in Oxfordshire, England. It is located on the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus....
, a scientific research laboratory near Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Abingdon is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire in Southern England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places which claim to be Oldest town in Britain....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in the South East England region, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire....
, UK.
Rutherford College
Rutherford College, Auckland

Rutherford College is a co-educational state secondary school on the Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland, New Zealand....
, a school in Auckland
Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban areas of New Zealand with over 1.3 million residents, percent of the country's population....
, New Zealand
Rutherford College
Rutherford College, Kent

Rutherford College is the second oldest Colleges within UK Universities of the University of Kent. It is located on the university's Canterbury campus and was established in 1966....
, a college at the University of Kent
University of Kent

The University of Kent is a plate glass university Campus university university in Kent, England....
in Canterbury
Canterbury

Canterbury lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent, in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, UK
the Rutherford Institute for Innovation at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge , located in Cambridge, England, is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation university in the Anglosphere....
, UK
Rutherford Intermediate School, Wanganui, New Zealand

Buildings

a building of the modern Cavendish Laboratory
Cavendish Laboratory

The Cavendish Laboratory is the University of Cambridge's Department of Physics, and is part of the university's School of Physical Sciences. It was opened in 1874 as a teaching laboratory and was initially located on the New Museums Site, Free School Lane, in the centre of Cambridge....
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge , located in Cambridge, England, is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation university in the Anglosphere....
, UK
The Ernest Rutherford Physics Building at McGill University
McGill University

McGill University is a Public university#Canada located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university....
, Montreal
Montreal

Montreal, or Montr?al, is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population....
, Canada
a physics classroom in Portsmouth Grammar School, Hampshire, UK.
the physics and chemistry building at the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury

The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates in the suburb of Ilam, New Zealand in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand....
, New Zealand
The Coupland Building at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is a "red brick university" civic university located in Manchester, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration....
where Rutherford worked was renamed The Rutherford Building in 2006
The Rutherford lecture theatre in the Schuster building at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is a "red brick university" civic university located in Manchester, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration....
The Rutherford Building, Sixth form center and refectory at Bedford Modern School
Bedford Modern School

Bedford Modern School is a selective co-educational independent public school in the Harpur area of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.BMS has its origins in the Bedford Charity, born from the endowments left by Sir William Harpur in the sixteenth century....
, Bedford, UK

Halls of residence

Rutherford Residence Hall at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ, USA.
a student hall at Loughborough University
Loughborough University

Loughborough University is a campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England.It has been a university since 1966, but the institution dates back to 1909, when the then Loughborough Technical Institute began with a focus on skills and knowledge which would be directly applicable i...
, Leicestershire, UK.
Rochester and Rutherford Hall
Rochester and Rutherford Hall

Rochester and Rutherford is a Hall of Residence associated with the University of Canterbury. It is located in the suburb of Ilam, New Zealand near the University....
, a boarding house at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

School houses

House system

The house system is a traditional feature of United Kingdom schools, and schools in ex-British colonies, similar to the college system of a university....

at Cashmere High School, Christchurch
Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest Urban areas of New Zealand. It is midway down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of Christchurch....
, New Zealand
at Corran School for Girls, Auckland, New Zealand
at Island School
Island School

Island School is a co-educational international school in Hong Kong. The campus is situated in the Mid-Levels district of Hong Kong on 20 Borrett Road....
, Hong Kong
at Macleans College
Macleans College

Macleans College is a co-educational secondary school in New Zealand situated in the Auckland suburb of Bucklands Beach....
, Auckland
Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban areas of New Zealand with over 1.3 million residents, percent of the country's population....
, New Zealand
at Mount Roskill Grammar School
Mount Roskill Grammar School

Mount Roskill Grammar is a secondary school in the suburb of Mount Roskill, Auckland, officially opened in 1954. The school has students of over 70 different nationalities including approximately 200 International students....
, Auckland
Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban areas of New Zealand with over 1.3 million residents, percent of the country's population....
, New Zealand
at Nelson College, New Zealand, his own high school
at Rangiora High School, Rangiora, New Zealand
at Rangitoto College, Auckland
Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban areas of New Zealand with over 1.3 million residents, percent of the country's population....
, New Zealand
at Shirley Boys' High School
Shirley Boys' High School

Shirley Boys' High School is a single sex state High school in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is situated on a 6 hectare site in the suburb of Shirley, New Zealand, 3.8 kilometres from the city centre....
, Christchurch
Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest Urban areas of New Zealand. It is midway down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of Christchurch....
, New Zealand
at St Andrews College, Christchurch
Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest Urban areas of New Zealand. It is midway down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of Christchurch....
, New Zealand
at Stepney Green School, London, England
at Tanjong Katong Secondary School
Tanjong Katong Secondary School

Tanjong Katong Secondary School, or known affectionately as TK, is an Autonomous co-ed school in Katong. Before its Autonomous status, the school was frequently named by the Ministry of Education as 'The Best Non-Independent and Non-Autonomous Secondary School' in Singapore....
, Singapore
Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country microstate located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It lies 137 kilometres north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia's Riau Islands....
at Waimea College
Waimea College

Waimea College is a secondary school in Richmond, New Zealand, Nelson, New Zealand, New Zealand. It was opened in 1957.Students are split into four houses named after four famous New Zealanders....
, Richmond, New Zealand
at Westburn School in Christchurch
at Hutt International Boys' School
Hutt International Boys' School

Hutt International Boys' School is a state integrated boys' secondary school in Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand. the Principal is Grahame Duffy, who was appointed to the role in 2001....
, Upper Hutt, New Zealand
at Tawa College
Tawa College

Tawa College is a coeducational school situated in Tawa, New Zealand, New Zealand, and its principal is Murray Lucas. The Tawa College magazine is called Tawahi ....
, Wellington, New Zealand

Major streets

Rutherford Close, a residential street in Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Abingdon is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire in Southern England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places which claim to be Oldest town in Britain....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in the South East England region, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire....
, UK.
Lord Rutherford Road in Brightwater
Brightwater

Brightwater is a town 20 kilometres southwest of Nelson, New Zealand in the South Island of New Zealand. It stands on the banks of the Wairoa River, Tasman, whose appearance inspired the town's name....
, New Zealand - his birthplace.
Rutherford Road in the biotech district of Carlsbad, California
Carlsbad, California

Carlsbad is a seaside resort-town in the North County section of San Diego County, California. According to the state Department of Finance, the city had a total population of 90,271 in 2003....
, USA.
Rutherford Street in Nelson, New Zealand.

Other

The crater Rutherford
Rutherford (lunar crater)

Rutherford is a small Moon impact crater that lies on the Moon's Far side . It is located just to the north-northwest of the huge walled plain Mendeleev ....
on the Moon, and the crater Rutherford on Mars
The Rutherford Award at Thomas Carr College
Thomas Carr College

Thomas Carr College is a Roman Catholic, co-educational day school located in Tarneit, Victoria in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Victoria , Australia....
for excellence in VCE
VCE

VCE could refer to:* Victorian Certificate of Education, Year 11 and 12 qualification in Victoria, Australia* Vocational Certificate of Education, a Further Education qualification in the United Kingdom...
Chemistry
Chemistry

Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions....
, Australia
Image on New Zealand $100 note
New Zealand dollar

The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. The New Zealand Dollar is divided into 100 cent s....
.
Rutherford was the subject of a play by Stuart Hoar.
On the side of the Mond Laboratory on the site of the original Cavendish Laboratory
Cavendish Laboratory

The Cavendish Laboratory is the University of Cambridge's Department of Physics, and is part of the university's School of Physical Sciences. It was opened in 1874 as a teaching laboratory and was initially located on the New Museums Site, Free School Lane, in the centre of Cambridge....
in Cambridge, there is an engraving in Rutherford's memory in the form of a crocodile, this being the nickname given to him by its commissioner, his colleague Peter Kapitza. The initials of the engraver, Eric Gill
Eric Gill

Arthur Eric Rowton Gill was a England sculpture, typography, stonecutter and printmaking, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement....
, are visible within the mouth.
The Rutherford Foundation, a charitable trust set up by the Royal Society of New Zealand
Royal Society of New Zealand

The Royal Society of New Zealand was founded in 1851 and is the premier learned society in New Zealand.It is a federation of 49 constituent scientific and technological organisations, and also several affiliate organisations, and it has individual members....
to support research in science and technology.

Publications

Radio-activity (1904), 2nd ed. (1905), ISBN 978-1-60355-058-1
Radioactive Transformations (1906), ISBN 978-160355-054-3
Radiations from Radioactive Substances (1919)
The Electrical Structure of Matter (1926)
The Artificial Transmutation of the Elements (1933)
The Newer Alchemy (1937)

External links

from Nobel prize official website
The Chemical Nature of the Alpha Particles from Radioactive Substances
Article on Rutherford's contribution to dating the Age of the Earth
- includes link to short biography and other sources (NZHistory.net.nz)

Ernest Rutherford

Early years

Middle years

Later years

Legacy

Publications

See also

Further reading

External links