J D Bernal's x-ray diffraction camera, United Kingdom, 1928
- Made:
- 1928 in United Kingdom
- maker:
- Unknown
This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseOscillation-rotation x-ray diffraction camera.
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Oscillation-rotation x-ray diffraction camera.
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Oscillation-rotation x-ray diffraction camera (believed to be the first constructed in Great Britain). Used by Professor Bernal.
John Desmond Bernal (1901-71), an Irish physicist, used this X-ray diffraction camera at the Royal Institution in London. When X-rays are passed through crystals they scatter to create a pattern that can be used to determine the structures of molecules. Known today as X-ray crystallography, it was a crucial technique used to understand the structure of penicillin, DNA and insulin. Bernal was also interested in the social function of science and wrote widely on the history of science.
Details
- Category:
- Experimental Chemistry
- Object Number:
- 1963-44
- Materials:
- wood (unidentified) and metal (unknown)
- Measurements:
-
overall: 1000 x 500 x 1000 mm (approximate)
- type:
- x-ray diffraction camera
- credit:
- The Royal Institution