J D Bernal's x-ray diffraction camera, United Kingdom, 1928
- Made:
- 1928 in United Kingdom
- maker:
- Unknown
This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
This image is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence
Oscillation-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.
Related people
Details
- Category:
- Experimental Chemistry
- Object Number:
- 1963-44
- type:
- x-ray diffraction camera
- taxonomy:
-
- furnishing and equipment
- tools & equipment
- scientific equipment
- credit:
- The Royal Institution
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