The energies of nuclear reactions

It has been shown in previous papers that the nuclei of the radioactive atoms probably have equally spaced energy levels so that the energies of the rays emitted by the nucleus are equal to multiples of a constantq = 3·85 × 105 electron volts. Several light elements also appear to have nuclear levels with differences equal toq within the rather large limits of error. We should therefore expect the energies set free in nuclear reactions to be equal to multiples ofq . The electronic energies of the light elements are small compared withq , so that the observed energies should be multiples ofq . The energies of considerable number of nuclear reactions have been measured, but only a few with sufficient accuracy to show whether they are or are not equal to multiples ofq . The energies of the 17 nuclear reactions given in a recent paper by Oliphant, Kempton, and Rutherford are given in Table I. The energies are in atomic weight units equal to 9·315 ×108 electron volts. Some of the values have been increased slightly since they were not quite accurately calculated from the energies in electron volts.