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.
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Science Museum: Making the Modern World Gallery
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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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