56. Chemistry and Radiation

107
Stories About Chemistry

56. Chemistry and Radiation

So far chemists have not invented green leaves. But light is already used in practice for accomplishing photochemical reactions.

Incidentally, photographic processes are an example of
photochemistry in action. Light is the chief photographer.
But the interests of chemists are not confined to light rays. There are also X-rays and radioactive radiations. They carry immense amounts of energy.

For instance, X-rays are thousands, and gamma-rays, millions of times more "intensive" than light rays.

Now would chemists be likely to disregard them?

And so there appeared in encyclopaedias and textbooks, In special books and publications, in popular booklets and essays a new term "radiation chemistry". Such is the name of the branch of science which studies the action of radiations on chemical reactions.