456 



On Nuclear Electrons, 



while the number of positive charges expelled are 1G and 12 

 resp.), no other explanation seems possible than that /3- 

 particles — 6 for the U-series and 5 for the Th-series — are 

 ejected too from the nucleus*. 



Indeed, the number of /3-ray products in these two series 

 corresponds (complex radiation being taken into account) 

 completely with these numbers. 



The same conclusion may be arrived at on quite another 

 line. The periodic number P an element occupies in a strictly 

 periodic series from Li upwards with each triad of group VIII, 

 and all the elements from Ce to Ta concentrated into one place 



each, can be proved to be equal to \ / — — (M being the 



number in Mendelejeff's series, A the atomic weight, and c a 

 constant). 



Thus, if the total number of electrons per atom is equal (as 

 from the mass and charge of the a-particle may be supposed, 

 4/5 of all known atomic weights being of the types An and 

 An + 3) to half the atomic weight, we get 



N-M = cP 2 , 

 and as M is equal too to the number of electrons surrounding 

 the nucleus, cP 2 must be the number of electrons in the 

 nucleus. 



Here again we find for U and Pb, as for Th and Bi, the 

 same differences, 6 and 5 resp., as must be expected from the 

 number of /3-rays expelled. 



Table II. 





c. 



Mg. 



Ar. 



Or. 



Zn. 



Kr. 



Mo. 



Cd. 



Xe. 



Nd. 



W. 



Pb. 



Bi. 



Th. 



U. 



M ... 



6 



12 



18 



24 



30 



36 



42 



48 



54 



60 



78 



86 



87 



94 



90 



P 



4 



10 



16 



22 



26 



32 



38 



42 



48 



52 



54 



60 



61 



68 



70 



cP 2 ... 











1 



2 



3 



5 



6 



8 



11 



12 



14 



17 



17 



22 



23 



A calc. * 



12 



24 



38 



52 



66 



82 



98 



112 



130 



144 



184 



206 



208 



232 



238 



A 



exp. . 



12 



24 



40 



52 



65 



82 



96 



112 



130 



144 



184 



207 



208 



232 



238 



A ealc =2(M+cP 2 ); c=0-00468. 



The number of nuclear electrons being proportional to the 

 periodic number P, and this number remaining unchanged 



* Compare Bohr, Phil. Mag. xxvi. p. 500 (1913). 



MHHHHHi 



