The Birth and Initial Exploitation of X-ray Diffraction
A non-mathematical account of the discovery of X-ray diffraction by von Laue and its use as a new kind of high-resolution microscopy by W. L. Bragg is given. There follows a simple explanation of how the electron densities in various regions of any molecule that can be crystallized can be retrieved from its X-ray diffraction pattern. Also, it is explained how the molecular weight of the molecule can be determined from straightforward measurements of the diffraction and the density of the crystal. The identity of the elements in a crystal, as well as the nature of the chemical bonding between them, may also be derived from measurement of the electron density distribution within it. The importance of Bragg’s Law, relating X-ray pattern to interatomic distance, is demonstrated, and initial applications of it by Bragg and Pauling are given.