Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from William Ramsay
Title
Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from William Ramsay
Creator
Date
Publisher
Identifier
GFF 8/90
Description
A handwritten letter from W. Ramsay to George. F Fitzgerald, dated the 4th of February 1895.
W. Ramsay updates Fitzgerald on his ongoing work, including repeated density measurements of argon and plans to examine its behaviour over a wide temperature range. He mentions preparing and sending a vacuum tube and reports that his recent scientific paper was well received, though he dreads giving popular lectures.
2pp.
Transcription:
My dear Fitzgerald,
I am ahead at it. I am first re-determining density as accurate as I can, five times, so as to get an average; circulating between each determination. I am next going to fix an [isocher?], from -90 degrees to say . 250 degrees. I don't think redetermination of the wave length will lead to much more than it has already given. The method gives concordant enough results for any one substance; but I am not so absolutely certain of 0.5 p.c. accuracy in comparing two substances, like air & argon. It may be worth while to attempt a descent in V. Meyer's apparatus at as high a temp. as I can reach; though I don't expect much from that.
It is interesting about the spectrum. I am getting a lot of vacuum tubes made. & I shall fill them on Wednesday I shall send you one.
It appears questionable if argon would show any solar spectrum. For apparently, nitrogen does all the conducting in vacuum, when the ratio increased to about 10 pc. At least the A lines are very difficult to make out with N2 in the tube.
The paper went off very well. I wasn't a bit nervous, for it was for like an ordinary lecture. It is the popular lecture that I am afraid of.
Yours ever sincerely,
W. Ramsay.
W. Ramsay updates Fitzgerald on his ongoing work, including repeated density measurements of argon and plans to examine its behaviour over a wide temperature range. He mentions preparing and sending a vacuum tube and reports that his recent scientific paper was well received, though he dreads giving popular lectures.
2pp.
Transcription:
My dear Fitzgerald,
I am ahead at it. I am first re-determining density as accurate as I can, five times, so as to get an average; circulating between each determination. I am next going to fix an [isocher?], from -90 degrees to say . 250 degrees. I don't think redetermination of the wave length will lead to much more than it has already given. The method gives concordant enough results for any one substance; but I am not so absolutely certain of 0.5 p.c. accuracy in comparing two substances, like air & argon. It may be worth while to attempt a descent in V. Meyer's apparatus at as high a temp. as I can reach; though I don't expect much from that.
It is interesting about the spectrum. I am getting a lot of vacuum tubes made. & I shall fill them on Wednesday I shall send you one.
It appears questionable if argon would show any solar spectrum. For apparently, nitrogen does all the conducting in vacuum, when the ratio increased to about 10 pc. At least the A lines are very difficult to make out with N2 in the tube.
The paper went off very well. I wasn't a bit nervous, for it was for like an ordinary lecture. It is the popular lecture that I am afraid of.
Yours ever sincerely,
W. Ramsay.
Source
RDS Library & Archives GFF collection of letters
Contributor
Rights
Copyright RDS Library & Archives. Publication, transmission or display is prohibited without formal written approval of the RDS Library & Archives.
Relation
RDS Science Archive
Format
Manuscript
Language
English
Type
Coverage
1870-1901
Collection
Citation
Ramsay, William, “Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from William Ramsay,” RDS Digital Archive, accessed December 5, 2025, https://digitalarchive.rds.ie/items/show/2315.