Word: monomolecular
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...some years Dr. Irving Langmuir of General Electric Co. has investigated the properties of monomolecular layers- that is, oil films, one molecule thick. He finds that in such layers molecules all stand on end, lined up in the same direction; that layers any number of molecules thick could be built up on a pane of glass by repeatedly dipping it in water covered with a monomolecular film. All this, however, came under the head of "pure-science" research...
Last week Dr. Langmuir talked about stearic acid, a substance found in animal fat, which makes a monomolecular film one ten-millionth of an inch thick. This turned out to be an extremely sensitive detector for atoms of metal in water. If the metal atoms are jostled around by stirring the water, they will soon strike the underside of the film, adhere to it. The film is skimmed from the water, allowed to contract. If it contains no metal, when viewed by polarized light it will give a double refraction effect in handsome colors. But if there were only...
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