Sir William Lawrence Bragg: The younger Nobel prize personality Who Beginnings of X-ray Crystallography in science

in steemstem •  6 years ago  (edited)


William Lawrence Bragg, image credit: commons.wikimedia.org Author: Nobel foundation, CC0 Public Domain

German scientist Wilhelm Röntgen invented something amazing called 'X-ray', which responded to the whole world. In 1895, there were many others who were busy to research X-rays. The news reached a fast pace near William Henry Bragg, an obscure physicist who lives in Adelaide, Australia, which was 15,000 kilometers away from Germany. And this was one of the reasons for his being famous. He felt so much interest in Rontgen ray that he placing X-ray equipment at his home. Then he started the research.

Wilhelm Röntgen image credit: commons.wikimedia.org_ Author: George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress)_ CC0 Public Domain

But, after a few days, his 6-year-old son Lawrence Bragg's curiosity about X-ray was even more than him. This time, Henry banned Lawrence Bragg's entry in the X-ray room. But whatever the case, Lawrence wants to go there. He heard from his father's that X-ray was a strange thing that could be possible to take pictures inside the human's body. One day, Lawrence broke his elbow from his own wish by falling from a tricycle to entered the x-ray room, as if his father was examined him in the X-ray room! After 19 years of this incident, the intriguing child Lawrence Bragg won the Nobel Prize by doing research on X-ray.

Henry Bragg, the physicist at The University of Adelaide, discovered his son's unique tendency towards about science. He started giving the initial education of Lawrence himself. He takes more emphasis on mathematics, chemistry, and physics. At the age of 9, Lawrence was admitted to Adelaide's "Queens School". The school was known for its strict curriculum. Without strict perseverance, where the difficulty was to pass in that school, there Lawrence achieved the highest result in every test. His teachers, especially in physics, chemistry, and mathematics teachers, were fascinated by his talent.


William Henry Bragg, image credit: commons.wikimedia.org Author: Nobel foundation, CC0 Public Domain
In 1901, Lawrence admitted to St. Peter's College. This college was not physics. However, Lawrence continued to his study in chemistry and mathematics satisfactorily. He was so much ahead of his closest competitors in the tests that he was quickly upgraded to the top class!

In 1906, Lawrence admitted into to Adelaide University. He started to study in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics at Adelaide University. At the age of 18, he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. Such a successful academic career was not a pleasure for Lawrence. This period of his life later determined his personality. Being a light year ahead of all in education and being promoted to the upper class, no friend of his! Because at one time he was small in the age in the class!

1909; When Lawrence was moving forward with academic success, his father Henry did not stop her journey. This time, he was a one of the most familiar faces in the physics world. Then his father had been appointed Cavendish Chair Department of Physics at the University of Leeds. It was also respectful and coincidental for him. Shortly after this announcement, Lawrence received a scholarship at Cambridge University. Then the entire family of Bragg came out in England. Lawrence admitted to studying mathematics at Cambridge University. By his father's advice, he chose physics by excluded mathematics.

Bragg building, Cavendish Laboratory, image credit: commons.wikimedia.org Author: Silas S. Brown, CC0 Public Domain
Lawrence joined the Cavendish Laboratory at the end of post-graduation. From there started his scientist history. Until then, the science society believed that X-ray was a type of particle whose distinction was not possible. But in 1912, German scientist Max von Laue discovered that X-ray is a type of wave, which is evolved by the crystal. And at the end of the year, Lawrence made the first discovery of his scientist's life which is known as 'Bragg's Law of X-ray Dislocation'. Before getting acquainted with it, we need to know about Diffraction and Interference.

Diffraction interferometer, image credit: commons.wikimedia.org Author: Diwaker, CC0 Public Domain

The spreading of waves around obstacles is called Diffraction. It's the process by which a beam of light or other systems of waves is spread out. When it passing through a narrow aperture or across an edge, typically accompanied by interference between the waveforms produced it may defined as Diffraction. And, as a result of the increase of two or similar wavelength waves from any coherent source, the reduction of their spread is called as an Interference. Interference is of two types. In the places where the waves of symphysis occur, the expansion and intensity of the receptive waves are greater.  When the maxima of two waves add together it called Constructive interference. If a crest of one wave meets a trough of another wave, the amplitude wave is equal to the sum of the individual amplitudes is known as destructive interference. The light, sound, radio waves, even the water surface waves are also inattentive. Divergence arises only when a wave encounters any obstructed or empty space.

Explanation about X-ray Diffraction, image credit: commons.wikimedia.org, CC0 Public Domain
Lawrence Bragg appeared very boldly in this scenario of evolution. He was only a young man of 21 years, whose scientific experimentation had just begun. On the basis of that, is it possible to find out the wrong of physicist Max von Laue?

Lawrence proves it in his published paper, he argued that the structure of the atoms between the X-rays and the crystal lays incorrectly! He explained the pictures of the extinction of the Laue, and showed that the fact that the tone is a distraction is not a distinction, but an attitude!

Bragg's Law, image credit: commons.wikimedia.org Author: Aboalbiss, CC0 Public Domain

Here,

λ = Wavelength,

n = Is a positive integer,

d = The distance between the atoms in the crystal,

θ = The angle of the maximum quantity will be created.

Explaining the pictures of Laue, Lawrence showed that there is a constructive ban on the fact that the Laue has evolved into black dots. He also came to the conclusion that this phenomenon occurs only when the wavelength is the multiple of a positive integer. As a result, it is possible to easily detect d by drawing a picture of the distortion of the x-ray wave from the crystal. That is, the real distance between the atoms in the realm of the people comes to the level! This was a breakthrough in the history of science. Because, because of this discovery, it is possible to know the complete structure of crystal images from different angles. As a result, for the first time in history, the formation of an object is on the atomic scale is possible to see and open the way to construct a 3D model of the atomic structure of the object. Laurence's proud and fascinating father, Henry, started studying Leeds with his son's work and determined the formation of the first three-dimensional crystal structure.

In 1915, Lawrence Bragg won the Nobel Prize for Physics for his formula. But he did not win the prize. Henry shared the Nobel with the son to work on determining the formation of the object. Lawrence has made a unique record of winning the Nobel Prize together with Dad's son. He won the Nobel Prize at the age of 25 and won the Nobel Prize for the record of being the youngest. In 2014, Malala Yousafzai broke the record winning the Nobel Peace Prize. However, Lawrence is still the youngest among the Nobel Laureates in science.

In 1914 When World War I started, Lawrence Bragg actively participated in the war. Who is a researcher in the laboratory, he is an equally capable hero on the battlefield. He won the 'Military Medal for Gallantry' for his valor in the battlefield. Using a special method called 'Sound Range', he was able to locate the artillery of the enemy in the battlefield. At the end of 1915, his younger brother died in the war.

X-ray Crystallography, image credit: commons.wikimedia.org Author: JohnKim at English Wikibooks, CC0 Public Domain
After the first World War, Lawrence Bragg has carried out several minor research. When Ernest Rutherford died in 1938, he received the Cavendish Chair of physics at Cambridge University. In 1941, King George VI of Britain awarded him the knighthood. During the war, he was researching Crystal. Because of the war, his studies in the Cavendish Laboratory were interrupted enough. In 1946 when the war ended, he created X-ray crystallography, his last major success. X-ray crystallography is a complex scientific method, by which it is possible to accurately calculate the crystal's molecular and atomic structure.

William Lawrence Bragg was born on March 31, 1890, in the capital of the British colony of South Australia, Adelaide. His father William Henry Brag was a famous physicist. And his Mother Gwendoline Todd was a watercolor painter. He finished his career with Adelaide University. In 1909, he received a scholarship at Cambridge University for his outstanding merit. In the same year, his father joined the University of Leeds as Professor and his whole family came to England. Then he did not return to his homeland. In 1921 he married Alice Hopkinson. On 1 July 1971 Lawrence Bragg got died at the age of 81.

Image sources AND LICENCES:

All the images which I used in this post, they are free for commercial use and royalty free. Original images links also provided under them.

If You Want To Further Reading About This Article Don't Forget To Checkout These REFERENCES:

Lawrence Bragg

Lawrence BraggBiographical

Sir Lawrence BraggBRITISH PHYSICIST

What is the difference between diffraction and interference of light?

Bragg's Law and Diffraction:How waves reveal the atomic structure of crystals

Bragg's law

Sir William Lawrence Bragg

Lawrence Bragg

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Thanks for sharing this great article. I am writing something about those men, but in spanish.