William Crookes
JUN 17, 2015
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.030988
It’s the birthday of William Crookes, who was born 1832 in London. Crooke’s scientific career began when he became an assistant at the Royal College of Chemistry. He investigated the compounds of selenium and, in 1861, discovered the element thallium, using the new technique of atomic spectroscopy. Crookes’s interest in spectroscopy led him to develop instruments for working under vacuum -- among them, an early cathode ray tube. His most famous invention, the Crookes radiometer, is a feature of physics classes, where it is used to demonstrate light’s momentum.
Date in History: 17 June 1832
© 2015 American Institute of Physics
