Name: ____Zoha Rashid_____
Date: ____9-21-14_______
Periodic-als Scientist Interview
Scientist Selected: William Ramsay
Why did you select this scientist? I am currently studying Neon, which is a Noble gas and he discovered the Noble gases.
Basic Info:
10 Interview Questions:
Source for Basic Info
Title: Sir William Ramsay
MLA Citation: "Sir William Ramsay - Biographical." Sir William Ramsay - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
Scientist Interview Question Facts
Source 1 Title: Sir William Ramsay (British Chemist)
MLA Citation: Watson, Katherine D. "Sir William Ramsay (British Chemist)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
Source 2 Title: Sir William Ramsay
MLA Citation: "Sir William Ramsay - Biographical." Sir William Ramsay - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
Interview Question #1: What or who inspired you to study about Chemistry and the elements?
Interview Question #2: What exactly did you win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for?
Interview Question #3: Did you discover any new elements? If so, what were they?
Interview Question #4: How did you discover these elements?
Interview Question #5: How do you think your discovery benefits today’s world?
Interview Question #6: Where did you go to school?
Interview Question #7: Are there any other scientists that assisted you in your work?
Interview Question #8: For people who are interested in studying Chemistry and working with science, what is one piece of advice you could give them?
Interview Question #9: What is something that most people don’t know about your family and childhood?
Interview Question #10: Was there ever anything besides Chemistry and science that you were interested in? Did you have any hobbies?
Date: ____9-21-14_______
Periodic-als Scientist Interview
Scientist Selected: William Ramsay
Why did you select this scientist? I am currently studying Neon, which is a Noble gas and he discovered the Noble gases.
Basic Info:
- Full Name: William Ramsay
- Country of Birth: Glasgow, UK
- Birth and death year: October 2, 1852 & July 23, 1916
10 Interview Questions:
- What or who inspired you to study about Chemistry and the elements?
- What exactly did you win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for?
- Did you discover any new elements? If so, what were they?
- How did you discover these elements?
- How do you think your discovery benefits today’s world?
- Where did you go to school?
- Are there any other scientists that assisted you in your work?
- For people who are interested in studying Chemistry and working with science, what is one piece of advice you could give them?
- What is something that most people don’t know about your family and childhood?
- Was there ever anything besides Chemistry and science that you were interested in? Did you have any hobbies?
Source for Basic Info
Title: Sir William Ramsay
MLA Citation: "Sir William Ramsay - Biographical." Sir William Ramsay - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
Scientist Interview Question Facts
Source 1 Title: Sir William Ramsay (British Chemist)
MLA Citation: Watson, Katherine D. "Sir William Ramsay (British Chemist)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
Source 2 Title: Sir William Ramsay
MLA Citation: "Sir William Ramsay - Biographical." Sir William Ramsay - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.
Interview Question #1: What or who inspired you to study about Chemistry and the elements?
- Well, Ramsay was the nephew of Geologist Andrew Ramsay.
- Andrew Ramsay was elected as the presidential chair of the Geological Society of London.
- Ramsay was in fact, inspired by Lord Rayleigh’s 1892 discovery of the atomic weight of Nitrogen was higher than that of Nitrogen found in the atmosphere.
Interview Question #2: What exactly did you win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for?
- "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous elements in air, and his determination of their place in the periodic system"
- With inspiration from Lord Rayleigh, Ramsay discovered a heavier gas of Nitrogen and renamed it Argon.
- After the discovery of Argon, he continued to discover multiple noble gases and determining their placement in the Periodic Table.
Interview Question #3: Did you discover any new elements? If so, what were they?
- Ramsay first discovered Argon with the help of Lord Rayleigh’s discovery of a heavier version of Nitrogen.
- This lead to his discovery Neon, Xenon, Helium, and Krypton.
- Finally, in 1903, with the help of British Chemist Frederick Soddy, the two showed that Helium, mixed with Radon, helium, together with radon is continually produced during the radioactive decay of radium. Ramsay went on to confirm that Radon was in fact the sixth Noble gas.
Interview Question #4: How did you discover these elements?
- Argon was discovered because after learning of Lord Rayleigh’s discovery of a heavier Nitrogen in the atmosphere, Ramsay took matters in his own hand and discovered the new element Argon.
- A year later, Ramsay found yet another inert gas he pulled from a mineral called cleviete, which is known as Helium.
- In 1898, along with the help of British Chemist Morris W. Travers, he isolated three more more elements- Neon, Krypton, and Xenon.
Interview Question #5: How do you think your discovery benefits today’s world?
- Without Helium, we wouldn’t have balloons, but not just party balloons, things such as weather balloons would not exist either.
- Helium is also lighter than air which extremely important in today’s world.
- The Noble gases in general are very essential in industries such as lighting and space exploration. Hydrogen and Nitrogen are key players when it comes to deep sea traveling.
Interview Question #6: Where did you go to school?
- University of Glasgow in Scotland.
- Decided from a very early age that he wanted to be a Chemist, as he was the son of a civil engineer.
- Earned his doctorate at the university of Tübingen.
Interview Question #7: Are there any other scientists that assisted you in your work?
- In finding Argon, Lord Rayleigh’s discovery of heavier Nitrogen helped Ramsay.
- Morris W. Travers was a Chemist who helped Ramsay isolate Xenon, Neon, and Krypton.
- Got some inspiration from his uncle, Sir Andrew Ramsay, who was a famous Geologist.
Interview Question #8: For people who are interested in studying Chemistry and working with science, what is one piece of advice you could give them?
Interview Question #9: What is something that most people don’t know about your family and childhood?
- Father was a civil engineer.
- Uncle was a famous Geologist.
- Three sons of Ramsay’s grandfather became successful physicians but died at a young age.
Interview Question #10: Was there ever anything besides Chemistry and science that you were interested in? Did you have any hobbies?