Reborn and become a Great Scientist

Chapter 206 Chapter 154

Chen Muwu asked Oppenheimer to buy these three things, and with a little assembly, they can support the simplest Van de Graaff generator.

If you want to save more money, then the metal tin can can be replaced with the empty canned skin left after eating the can. The utility of galvanized tinplate and tin can is no different.

And the small electric motor can also be streamlined, and it is no problem to replace it with a hand-cranked gear set.

Only the insulating conductive tape is necessary, it is the carrier for transporting the charge, if you want to further save money, you can replace the material from silk with other things.

It is a pity that nylon has not been invented yet, otherwise Oppenheimer would have been able to find Chen Muwu a cheaper and stronger insulating tape than silk.

The principle of this generator is to charge the insulating silk belt at the bottom, and then rely on the rotation of the motor to drive the silk belt to move upward slowly, so that the charged part also slowly moves to the top of the generator, and finally passes through The brushes, transfer these charges to the metal tin can that snaps on top.

These transferred charges will appear on the outer surface of the tin can and slowly accumulate over time, increasing the potential of the tin until the potential of the accumulated charge on it is sufficient to break through the surrounding air.

There is also the question of how to get the insulating ribbon to be charged while it is at the bottom.

There are also two ways to do this. One is to use the tip discharge to ground the negative pole of a high-voltage DC power supply, and the positive pole is connected to the tip to transfer the positive charge to the insulating ribbon.

The other method is simpler. It does not use high-voltage DC power supply that costs money. It only needs to use the simplest and most basic electrical principle, friction electrification.

Benjamin Franklin, one of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence, is featured on the hundred dollar bill.

But apart from the founding father of the United States, Franklin has another identity, that is, a scientist.

It is written in elementary school textbooks that in order to study electricity, he once flew a kite during a thunderstorm and tried to use metal rods to attract lightning.

In addition, Franklin also discovered and named the positive and negative charges. The charge carried by a glass rod rubbed with silk is called a positive charge, while the charge carried by a rubber rod rubbed with animal fur is called a negative charge.

Silk is a very good electrification material. If a glass rod grounded at one end is rubbed against silk at the bottom of the generator, it can also continuously provide electric charges for this insulating belt.

It’s just that electrons are transferred from the glass rod to the silk, so the electrified motor will eventually accumulate negative charges on the tin can, so the potential is also negative, which cannot accelerate the positively charged protons, but can only accelerate the charged protons. Negatively charged electrons.

But this was no problem for Chen Muwu, and he didn't plan to use the items worth a few shillings to actually make a particle accelerator.

From the very beginning, he just wanted to build a generator for demonstration to convince his teacher Rutherford that it was feasible to obtain high-voltage static electricity in this way, so he suggested that he turn the particle accelerator from fantasy to reality.

In Rutherford's plan, it would take at least a month for Chen Muwu to manufacture the accelerator model.

If that model demo fails, it can be sent back for him to redo.

And if it is successful, it can also be used as an excuse that the funds for the laboratory will not be very rich at the end of the year, and a year-end inventory will be carried out, thereby delaying the funds for building the particle accelerator to 1926 next year.

That's why Rutherford was able to relax a little when he was gritting his teeth to speak, and raised the funds allocated to Chen Muwu to a huge sum of [-] pounds.

But he never expected that after returning to the Cavendish Laboratory, it took less than half a week for his good student to walk into his so-called "particle accelerator" model again. in this office.

Chen Muwu hadn't been in Cambridgeshire for more than half a year, and Rutherford was already very unaccustomed to the high efficiency of the Chinese storm.

"Chen, is this the accelerator model you mentioned earlier?"

"Teacher, to be precise, this is just a part of the accelerator, which is responsible for providing the high potential difference needed to accelerate particles."

"That's it? How high does it offer!"

Chen Muwu calculated in his mind for a few seconds: "The radius of the metal tin ball above is about ten centimeters. Under the standard conditions of zero degrees Celsius and 760 mmHg, the breakdown field of air is about 15 volts per centimeter. If the metal electrode can be made infinitely close to a ball and the surface is polished, this little guy can provide a potential difference of [-] volts. In the current situation, the object in my hand actually generates a few thousand volts No problem."

15 volts, just looking at this voltage, it is already three times that of the accelerator that Vedro has not yet built.

Seeing is better than hearing a hundred times. Seeing the suspicious expression on the teacher's face, Chen Muwu simply put the generator model on his desk.

"Teacher, please lend me a piece of paper, just use it."

After taking a piece of draft paper that Rutherford handed him, Chen Muwu tore off a strip from it, and put it on the top of the tin can.

"Because it's just a demonstration model, and the one I made is very rough, so there's no need to specifically measure how high the potential it can generate is, just use this piece of paper to make a rough estimate. .As the machine starts, the note will also become higher and higher because it is charged with electricity and repels each other with the tin can."

After briefly explaining the principle, Chen Muwu turned on the power, started the motor, and started running slowly with the insulating belt made of silk.

Just like what he had just said, the note on the top of the tin can fluttered high like a banner, silently declaring victory.

Rutherford stood up and took a closer look, this time even his beard fluttered.

He pondered for a long time before opening his mouth: "Chen, according to your statement, if you only need to make the radius of this sphere reach 35 centimeters, can you produce a super high voltage of 100 million volts?"

"Teacher, that's only in an ideal situation, but there is no problem at all with a million volts, it's just that the radius of the spherical electrode can be adjusted a little higher."

"That is to say, as long as the radius of the spherical electrode is adjusted to be infinitely large, we can create an infinitely large potential difference?"

"It's almost like this, but I think there should be an upper limit. When the speed of the conveyor belt transporting the charge and the speed of the charge loss on the electrode reach a balance, the potential will no longer increase. This upper limit, I estimate it at 500 million volts about."

The data given by Chen Muwu is not groundless. After more than ten years, in order to better study nuclear fission, Westinghouse Electric did create a behemoth that can raise the voltage to 500 million volts, and took a very vivid image of it. The name, "Westinghouse Atom Smasher".

"500 million..."

Rutherford was obviously frightened by the satellite released by Chen Muwu. The 100 million volt electric potential just now was regarded by him as the limit of his imagination.

If it is possible to build a particle accelerator of 500 million volts, and then use a potential difference of 500 million volts to accelerate a proton, and then let such a high-energy proton bombard the nuclei of other atoms...

Rutherford felt that he had never fought such a rich battle in his life.

But how much does that cost?
"Chen, you really provided a genius invention. But we have to go step by step, not to mention that it is not necessary to build a 500 million volt machine at once. Now this generator is only at the prototype stage. It is hard to say whether it is possible to build a generator that operates exactly according to the design of the model in practice.

"Well, like I told you before, you won't lose a penny for the accelerator funding of £[-], it's just..."

It was almost the fall of the year, and Chen Muwu was asking for a sum of more than two thousand pounds from Rutherford, the director of the Cavendish Laboratory Experiment.

At this moment, just like at that moment two years ago, Chen Muwu was worrying about a vacuum pump that General Electric of the United States was asking for [-] pounds.

Rutherford also moved out the same rhetoric he used to say when he didn’t want to buy a vacuum pump for Chen Muwu, saying that the end of the year is coming soon, and after the school starts in October, there will be another group of newcomers in the laboratory, and some money should be kept for emergencies Need to wait.

But as he talked, he felt that he seemed a little too much. After all, the one standing at the other end of the desk was the best student he had ever met in his life.

"... How about this, Chen, I know you are very rich, and the Nobel prize money alone is seven to eight thousand pounds.

"Such a huge bonus is just dead money if you store it in the bank for interest. Otherwise, you should take out the money first and pay for the expenses needed to build a particle accelerator. When the funds are rich next year, How about I ask James to make up for the reimbursement for you?"

"Teacher, is our Cavendish Laboratory out of money again?"

The expected bargaining plot did not appear, but Chen Muwu asked sincerely instead.

Rutherford couldn't handle this, but he immediately thought of another possibility.

Since Chen Muwu was able to obtain funding for David Faraday's laboratory for old Henry and give him a new Mond laboratory for free, is there a new method to make the Cavendish laboratory Can the funds become more?
Whether there are dates or not, there are three poles, this poor, I, Ernest, will cry first.

Rutherford nodded, and was about to continue with the trend: "Chen, although you doubled the funding of the laboratory before, when you have money, everyone wants better experimental equipment and materials. Still not enough…”

"Okay, I see, teacher." After the sincerity on his face just now, Chen Muwu showed a very understanding gesture, "Since the Cavendish Laboratory has no money, I'd better pack up and go back to London." , go over there and ask Sir Bragg if he would like to pay the money."

After speaking, he picked up the model on the table and was about to turn around and leave.

Chen Muwu was a little chilled, it was fine if the teacher didn't give him the money, why did he even focus on his own Nobel prize.

And the bonus has already been transferred to Marcus Jr.'s account, which is used to pay for the construction of the school in Sweden.

No, the money for building the school was directly used for the patent purchase fee of Bu Neimen Company, and the Nobel prize was still stored in his bank account.

But even then, Chen Muwu felt that he could not bring his own dry food to build an accelerator in the Cavendish Laboratory, and all the money in his account would have to be handed over to Oppenheimer and entrusted to him to take it to the US stock market. Go make a fortune!

So he kept his face on the surface, but in fact he gave the teacher a call to retreat.

The situation changed suddenly, and Rutherford was caught off guard again.

"Chen, Old Henry is a crystallographer who studies solid-state physics. He only needs to give him a few crystals and an X-ray source, which is enough for him to do research for several years. A particle accelerator is nothing to him at all. Yes. Otherwise, we can discuss it again? I will ask James to allocate a thousand pounds to you this year, and then wait until next year when the funds are sufficient, and then give you the rest of the money."

This is pretty much the same, Chen Muwu can accept half of it first, and Chen Muwu really can't bear it if he wants to go whoring for nothing.

"Teacher, although our Cavendish Laboratory has no money, you will be the president of the Royal Society at the end of the year. Can you also get some funding from the Royal Society? Let's build a big accelerator if we want to do it." Come out, although 500 million volts is a bit difficult, but it is no problem to build a 100 million volt first, right?"

Before Rutherford officially became the president, Chen Muwu had already set his sights on the fat sheep of the Royal Society.

"Let's talk, let's talk." The old man felt sorry for Qian, so he ignored Chen Muwu's gag.

After getting the money, Chen Muwu, who became considerate again, couldn't see his teacher like this, so he decided to find a way to comfort him.

"Teacher, I have one more thing."

"Do you want any more money?"

"No money, no money."

Chen Muwu hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head. He felt that if he affirmed this question, Rutherford would probably have a heart attack and fall to the ground on the spot.

"Then tell me, what's the matter?"

"That's right, can you register the patent of Chen's generator for me through the Cavendish Laboratory? I understand the rules before, and the laboratory is two and eight, although I don't know how much money this patent can make. , but we should be able to earn back some of the two thousand and five hundred pounds we invested."

Hearing this answer, Rutherford's expression finally eased a lot.

He nodded: "Just do as you said. You hurry up and get the patent out, and just hand it over to James. Chen, is there anything else you can do?"

"There is one more thing..."

Rutherford wanted to give himself a mouth, why did he talk too much, and asked the last question?
He originally thought that this was actually an ordinary order to chase away guests. The subtext was that if you have nothing to do, you should leave as soon as possible. The director doesn't want to see you, a somewhat annoying student, again today.

But he, Chen Muwu, was quite honest and actually agreed.

Rutherford decided that if he asked for money again this time, he would never agree to him.

"Teacher, the accelerator will be built soon. Although I have money, I still need an assistant. The new graduate student under Peter, Mr. John Cockcroft, can he be transferred to my side? "

"That's okay, I'll talk to James these days.

"Why, you finally can't stand that American anymore? I didn't want to recruit him into the Cavendish Laboratory at the beginning, but you insisted on listening to Sir Thomson and taking him under your own hands. Now you are on your own Is it a bitter fruit?"

After learning that Chen Muwu didn't ask for money, Rutherford, who was sitting on the roller coaster, was in a happy mood again, and even gloated a little.

It seems that even God can't stand Chen Muwu, a disobedient student, to punish him every day, so he sent an even more disobedient Oppenheimer to let Dr. Chen experience being abused by his student. What is the taste of gas!
(End of this chapter)