William Crookes

William Crookes (1832-1919), British chemist and physicist, born in London, and educated at the Royal College of Chemistry. In 1859 he founded the Chemical News, and in 1864 he became editor of the Quarterly Journal of Science. Crookes was knighted in 1897 and received the Order of Merit in 1910.

Crookes conducted research in a number of fields. He discovered the element thallium and developed a sodium amalgamation process for the separation of silver and gold from their ores. In applied chemistry he worked on such problems as the treatment of sewage, the manufacture of beet sugar, and the dyeing of textiles. His most important work, however, was in the investigation of the conduction of electricity in gases. He developed the Crookes tube and in it produced cathode rays for the first time. He also invented the radiometer and the spinthariscope, a particle detector.