Ernest Rutherford is considered the father of nuclear physics, but his awarding of the Nobel Prize came from his work in chemistry, specifically for his investigations into disintegration of the elements and radioactive substance chemistry. In actuality after rising from humble origins through education and his devotion to the sciences, Rutherford would change the way we conceive nature in three significant ways, “Combining brilliantly conceived experiments with much hard work and special insight, he explained the perplexing problem of naturally occurring radioactivity, determined the structure of the atom, and was the world’s first successful alchemist, changing nitrogen into oxygen” (Scientist Supreme 1). A distinguished student of some of the world’s top scientists and later a prize winning Professor, Rutherford also had many other achievements in the scientific field. He developed an electrical technique that could locate single ionizing radiations, he calculated the length of time the Earth has been in existence, he gave a language to atomic physics (nucleus, proton, electron, alpha particle, beta particle and neutron), and during the first World War he ran the research team developing methods of submarine detection.
Ernest Rutherford was born on August 30, 1871, in Nelson, New Zealand, one of twelve children born to James and Martha (Thompson) Rutherford (Ernest Rutherford 1). His origins were humble. His father was Scotch and worked as a wheelwright. His mother was a teacher who taught English. His father’s family had immigrated to New Zealand nearly three decades before Ernest was born. Ernest’s early years outside of school were filled with adventure. The family lived in Foxhill, a town that began to develop with the construction of the Nelson-Foxhill railway. Nelson’s father bought land from the owner of the town coaching stop that provided overnight accommodations to travelers. Ernest began sch...