Fact 1

Ernest Rutherford was born on 30th August 1871 in Brightwater, New Zealand and died on 19th October
1937 in Cambridge, UK.

Fact 2

Ernest Rutherford is known as the 'Father of Nuclear Physics' and considered as one of the greatest
experimentalist.

Fact 3

He studied at the Canterbury College, University of New Zealand on a scholarship and completed his BA,
MA and BSc and also two years of research,which lead to the invention of a new kind of radio receiver.

Fact 4

Ernest Rutherford was the first non-Cambridge graduate to have been allowed to do research work at
the Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory, under the inspiring leadership and guidance of Sir
J.J.Thomson.

Fact 5

He worked on the practical problems of submarine detection, during the first World War.

Fact 6

During his time at McGill University in Canada, Ernest Rutherford and fellow chemist Frederick Soddy
drafted the 'Atomic Disintegration Theory' as an accountability of all their combined experiments.

Fact 7

While at Victoria University of Manchester, he and Thomas Royds proved that alpha radiation consisted
of helium ions.
Fact 8

Rutherford's investigation into the disintegration of the elements and chemistry of radioactive
substances, earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in the year 1908.

Fact 9

Rutherford performed his most famous Geiger-Marsden experiment, which demonstrated the nuclear
nature of the atoms, after the receipt of the Nobel Prize.

Fact 10

He was credited with the discovery of the element rutherfordium, Rf.

Alpha particles, also called alpha ray or alpha radiation, consist of two protons and two neutrons bound
together into a particle identical to a helium-4 nucleus. They are generally produced in the process of
alpha decay, but may also be produced in other ways. Alpha particles are named after the first letter in
the Greek alphabet, α. The symbol for the alpha particle is α or α2+. Because they are identical to helium
nuclei, they are also sometimes written as He2+

or 4

2He2+

indicating a helium ion with a +2 charge (missing its two electrons). If the ion gains electrons from its
environment, the alpha particle becomes a normal (electrically neutral) helium atom 4

2He.

Alpha, Beta, Gamma

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When radiation of high enough energy strikes another atom, it strips away an electron. The resulting
positively charged atom is called an ion, which explains why high energy radiation is called ionizing
radiation. The release of the electron produces 33 electron volts (eV) of energy, which heats the
surrounding tissues and disrupts certain chemical bonds. Extremely high-energy radiation can even
destroy the nuclei of atoms, releasing even more energy and causing more damage. Radiation sickness is
the cumulative effect of all this damage on a human body that's been bombarded with radiation.

Ionizing radiation comes in three flavors: alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays. Alpha particles
are the least dangerous in terms of external exposure. Each particle contains a pair of neutrons and a
pair of protons. They don't penetrate very deeply into the skin, if at all -- in fact, clothing can stop alpha
particles. Unfortunately, alpha particles can be inhaled or ingested, usually in the form of radon gas.
Once ingested, alpha particles can be very dangerous. However, even then they don't typically cause
radiation sickness -- instead, they lead to lung cancer [source: EPA].

Beta particles are electrons that move very quickly -- that is, with a lot of energy. Beta particles travel
several feet when emitted from a radioactive source, but they're blocked by most solid objects. A beta
particle is about 8,000 times smaller than an alpha particle -- and that's what makes them more
dangerous. Their small size allows them to penetrate clothing and skin. External exposure can cause
burns and tissue damage, along with other symptoms of radiation sickness. If radioactive material enters
food or water supplies or is dispersed into the air, people can inhale or ingest beta particle emitters
unknowingly. Internal exposure to beta particles causes much more severe symptoms than external
exposure.

Gamma rays are the most dangerous form of ionizing radiation. These extremely high energy photons
can travel through most forms of matter because they have no mass. It takes several inches of lead -- or
several feet of concrete -- to effectively block gamma rays. If you're exposed to gamma rays, they pass
through your entire body, affecting all of your tissues from your skin to the marrow of your bones. This
causes widespread, systemic damage.