The British Journal of Radiology, Vol 70, Issue 836 809-816, Copyright © 1997 by British Institute of Radiology
Rontgen's other experiment
P Dawson
Department of Radiology, Hammersmith Hospital/RPMS, London, UK.
Rontgen's fame today rests solely on his discovery of X-rays and takes no
account of the fact that he was perhaps the leading experimental physicist
of his time. One experiment he devised and brilliantly executed was,
arguably, one of the most important of the 19th century. It was greatly
celebrated at the time, yet today has been all but completely forgotten.
With the aim of developing a more complete picture of Rontgen and his place
in the history of physics, this paper describes the nature of the problem
he tackled and gives an outline of his experimental approach to it. The
significance of his achievement for the construction of the edifice of 19th
century physics is explained.
