Study of the lines in various spectra has helped build the modern theory of matter. Soon after Bunsen and Kirchhoff developed the use of spectral lines as a means of chemical analysis, scientists thought that the various lines were given off by atoms vibrating at different rates under the stimulus of heat. They believed [...]

Moseley, Henry Gwyn-Jeffreys (1887-1915), British physicist, born in Weymouth, England; gave his name to the Moseley number. In 1913 and 1914 the English physicist H.G.J. Moseley (1887-1915) announced the discovery of far-reaching relations among X rays produced from the surfaces of different metals by the impact of electrons. He found that each metal gives certain [...]

Water Pollution Since the beginning of civilization, water has been used to carry away unwanted refuse. Rivers, streams, canals, lakes, and oceans are currently used as receptacles for every imaginable kind of pollution. Water has the capacity to break down or dissolve many materials, especially organic compounds, which decompose during prolonged contact with bacteria and [...]