Wilhelm Röntgen and the X-ray

1. By: Chris Massaro April 12, 2011 Wilhelm Röntgen and the X-ray

2. Early Life and Family • He was born on March 27, 1845 in Lennep, Prussia (Now Remscheid, Germany) • His parent’s names were Charlotte and Friedrich • An interesting fact: Charlotte and Friedrich were first cousins • Apparently, that happened a lot back in those days • His father Friedrich was a textile merchant • Röntgen was known as Willi by his parents • I feel I have a connection with him now, so for the rest of this power point I will do the same.

3. Education • When Willi first began his academic career, he attended the primary public school in Apeldoorn, Netherlands • In an attempt to increase his chances for receiving further schooling, his parents enrolled him in a private boarding school called Kostschool • In 1865 at the age of 20 Willi enrolled at the University of Utrecht to study physics • He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1869 for his thesis on the states of gases

4. Willi the Trouble Maker • Believe it or not, Willi got into a little bit of trouble as a young man • The story… • Willi, who was around 17 at the time, and his buddies were making fun of one of their teachers at school • They drew a funny picture of this teacher (so childish…yet something that happens all of the time, sorry Dr. Waite) • The Teacher walked into the room and immediately blamed Willi Artist’s rendition of sketch

5. Willi the Trouble Maker • It wasn’t actually Willi who drew the picture • Being the good friend that he was, he took the blame without a fight • Willi was then expelled from school making it nearly impossible to for him to get into a university • He then attempted to make it back into school • The plan was for him test his way into a similar school

6. Willi the Trouble Maker • Unfortunately, the proctor he planned on having got sick and he ended up with a different one • This replacement was a teacher that had been very unfriendly to Willi throughout this entire ordeal • Willi failed • Even without his high school diploma he was allowed to audit several courses on Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utrecht • Eventually he was permitted to enroll in the institute and continued his education

7. Imagine • Imagine if our good friend Willi never got back into school again • We might not have his amazing discovery of X-rays • People would currently be walking around with broken limbs without ever knowing • THE HORROR • Seriously though, that could have been the end of all of his academic pursuits • By a stroke of good fortune Wilhelm Röntgen was able to restart his academic career

8. Willi’s one True Love • During his time in school he spent many nights talking science and intellect with Otto Ludwig, a “professor” at the university • Ludwig had a second daughter named Anna Bertha Ludwig who frequently sat in on these conversations • Both Willi and Bertha loved the outdoors and took nature walks together • The sparks flew and their love for one another grew • They eventually tied the knot in Apeldoorn, Netherlands on January 19, 1872 Anna Bertha Ludwig

9. Early Jobs • Röntgen first became an assistant to August Kundt, a professor of physics at the University of Würzberg • This helped him realize his interest in the pure sciences • He moved with Kundt to the Kaiser-Wilhelms-Universität in Strasbourg in 1872 • Eventually was appointed the Chair of Physics at the University of Würzberg 1888 • After jumping around for a few years he finally settled in at the University of Munich in 1900

10. The University of Munich Unfortunately this picture is not from the correct time period

11. His Contribution to Modern Physics • Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays on November 8th, 1895 • While performing an experiment in his laboratory that night, he accidentally discovered these rays • Because of this discovery, the treatment of many health issues have been possible • Examples: Broken bones and lupus • In addition, this makes it now possible to locate objects inside of a body, like a bullet • It is far easier to surgically remove objects like these once they have been located by X-rays

12. The Experiment • Röntgen covered his cathode ray tube in thick, black carbon, to block out all light • He shot rays out of a cathode ray tube • He was not expecting anything spectacular to happen at this moment • He saw a green light appear some enormous distance away • By enormous we mean that cathode rays had never been observed at such a great distance before • He repeated the experiment to see if it was a fluke • He observed that when a plate covered in barium platinocyanide phosphor was placed in the path of the rays, it became fluorescent

13. The Experiment • He then replaced this plate with a photographic plate to record the images. • He held different objects in the path of the rays and was fascinated by the results • Depending on the transparency of the material, the plates would burn an image of varying brightness • He experimented with many different objects • This includes his wife’s hand • The image produced (next page) was of the bones in her hand and the ring she was wearing • Notice how the ring is much darker than everything else • Since Röntgen didn’t have a name for these rays, he called them X-rays

14. Anna Bertha Röntgen’s Hand The hand and a stamp cut off from the bottom of the image

15. Recreation of His Laboratory

16. Other Accomplishments • Willi published many scientific articles and papers throughout his life • These include: “On the Influence of Pressure upon the Viscosity of Liquids, especially of Water” and “On the Thermo-, Actino-, and Piezo-electrical Properties of Quartz” • He Won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901 for his discovery of X-rays • Willi and his wife Bertha adopted Bertha’s niece Josephine Berta

17. His Last Days • At the age of 77 Willi hiked up his favorite mountain once more to see the awe inspiring view it gave • Shortly after his last hike he started to suffer from intestinal pain and asthmatic attacks • He died on February 10, 1923 from what doctors diagnosed as a blocked intestine

18. Affecting Modern Day Technology • Almost everyone has had an X-ray at some point in their life • When most people have symptoms of broken bones, they need X-rays • Without Röntgen who knows if this would be possible today • His discovery of X-rays caused countless scientists to turn their attention to phenomena like it • It is very logical to claim that his discovery influenced the science behind so many others

19. Works Cited • "The Nobel Prize in Physics 1901". Nobelprize.org. 28 Apr 2011 http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1901/ • Thomsen, Volker. “Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen and the Discovery of X-Rays. (Cover Story).” Spectroscopy 23.7 (2008): 30-34. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 28 Apr. 2011. • Nitske, W. Robert. The Life of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, Discoverer of the X Ray,. Tucson: University of Arizona, 1971. Print.