Oko Kungenakubonwa Liliso Nje Lilodwa
AMASUNTSWANA othuli andanda emoyeni engabonakali. Kodwa ilitha lokukhanya kwelanga lingena ngefestile, yaye loo nto yenza izinto ebezingabonakali zibe nokubonwa. Eli litha lingenayo lokukhanya lenza la masuntswana abonakale emntwini.
Khawucingisise nzulu ngokukhanya okubonayo, okubonakala kumhlophe okanye kungenambala kwiliso nje lilodwa. Kwenzeka ntoni xa ilanga likhanyisa kanye kwindawo efanelekileyo kumathontsi amanzi? Amanzi aba ngathi lilitye elikhazimlayo, yaye sibona intaphane yemibalabala emihle!
Enyanisweni, kwizinto ezisingqongileyo sibona imixube eyahlukeneyo yokukhanya ebonakala emehlweni ethu njengombala. Ngokomzekelo, ingca eluhlaza ayiziveliseli ukukhanya okuluhlaza, kodwa itsala yonke imixube yokukhanya ekhoyo ngaphandle koluhlaza. Ingca ithumela umxube oluhlaza kwiliso lethu. Ngenxa yoko ingca ibonakala iluhlaza kwiliso lethu.
Ukuncediswa Zizixhobo Ezenziwe Ngabantu
Kwiminyaka yakutshanje izinto ezininzi ezingabonakaliyo kwiliso lethu lilodwa siyakwazi ukuzibona ngenxa yezinto eziveliswe kutshanje. Sinokusebenzisa imikroskopu sijonge ithontsi lamanzi elibonakala lingenabomi size sifumanise ukuba linyakazela iindidi ngeendidi zezidalwa eziphilayo. Nonwele, ngokuqhelekileyo olunokubonakala luthambile yaye lolukile, lubonakala lurhabaxa yaye lugosogoso. Iimikroskopu ezinamandla gqitha zinokwenza nkulu into ngokuphindaphindwe kangangesigidi, nto leyo elingana nokukhulisa isitampu seposi silingane nelizwana!
Ngoku xa besebenzisa iimikroskopu ezinamandla ngakumbi, abaphengululi bayakwazi ukubona iindlela ezimile ngayo iiathom. Oku kubenza babone oko kude kwangoku kungenakubonwa ngabantu.
Kwelinye icala, sinokukhangela esibhakabhakeni ebusuku size sibone iinkwenkwezi. Zingaphi? Ngeliso nje lilodwa sinokubona amawaka ambalwa. Kodwa ekuvelisweni kweteleskopu kwiminyaka emalunga nama-400 eyadlulayo, abantu baqalisa ukubona ezingakumbi. Kwandula ke, ngeminyaka yee-1920, iteleskopu enamandla eMount Wilson Observatory yabonisa ukuba kukho iminyele engaphandle kowethu kwaye nayo izaliswe yintaphane yeenkwenkwezi. Namhlanje, zisebenzisa iindlela ezinobucukubhede ezenziwe ngabantu zokusinga-singa indalo iphela, izazinzulu ziqikelela ukuba ingamashumi amawaka ezigidi iminyele ekhoyo, uninzi lwayo lunamakhulu amawaka ezigidi eenkwenkwezi!
Kumangalisa ngokwenene ukuba iiteleskopu ziye zatyhila ukuba amawaka ezigidi zeenkwenkwezi, ezithi gqi zinguMnyele Wezulu ngenxa yokukhangeleka kwazo ngokungathi zisondelelene, ziqelelene ngendlela engathethekiyo. Ngokufanayo, iimikroskopu ezinamandla ziye zalincedisa iliso ukuze libone ukuba izinto ezibonakala ziyimbumba, enyanisweni zibunjwe ngeeathom ezenziwe ngezinto ezingabonakaliyo.
Zincinane Gqitha
Elona suntswana lincinane linokubonwa kwimikroskopu eqhelekileyo libunjwe ziiathom ezingaphezu kweshumi lamawaka ezigidi! Ukanti ngowe-1897 kwafunyaniswa ukuba iathom inamasuntswana ajikelezayo abizwa ngokuba ziielectrons. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, umbindi wale athom, ezijikeleza kuwo iielectrons, kwafunyaniswa ukuba unamasuntswana amakhudlwana—ekuthiwa ziineurons neeprotons. Iindidi ezahlukeneyo ezingama-88 zeeathom, ngokuqhelekileyo ziyalingana, kodwa ziyahluka ngobunzima ngenxa yokuba nganye kuzo inoninzi lwala masuntswana aziindidi ezintathu.
Ielectron nganye—xa sithetha ngezo zikwiathom yehydrogen—ijikeleza kumbindi weathom kangangezihlandlo ezingamawaka ezigidi mzuzwana ngamnye, ngaloo ndlela ibumba indlela emile ngayo iathom ize iyenze ngathi yomelele. Kungafuneka kudityaniswe iielectrons ezimalunga ne-1 840 ukuze zilingane neproton okanye ineutron ngobukhulu. Kanti yona iproton neneutron zingaphantsi ngezihlandlo ezili-100 000 kuneathom uqobo!
Ukuze uyiqonde kakuhle indlela amancinane ngayo amasuntswana eathom, zama ukuba nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wombindi weathom yehydrogen ekukho ielectron yeathom ejikelezayo kuwo. Ukuba le electron ijikelezayo ibilingana nebhola yentenetya, ibiya kujikeleza kangangeekhilomitha ezi-3!
Kwanikelwa le ngxelo kwimibhiyozo yokufunyaniswa kwe-electron: “Imbinana yabantu iyathandabuza ukubhiyozela into engazange ibonwe mntu, engaziwayo ukuba ingakanani, kodwa inobunzima nombane—nejikeleza ngokukhawuleza ngendlela engathethekiyo. . . . Namhlanje akakho umntu onamathandabuzo ngokuba nezinto esingenakuzibona zikho.”
Kwanezona Zinto Zincinane
Oomatshini bokuqhekeza iathom, abakwaziyo ukubethanisa amasuntswana, benza ukuba izazinzulu zikwazi ukubona ngaphakathi kumbindi weathom. Loo nto iphumele ekubeni kubhalwe ngamasuntswana amaninzi anamagama angaqhelekanga—njengeepositrons, iiphotons, iimesons, iiquarks, neegluons, xa sikhankanya nje ezimbalwa. Ezo zinto azinakubonwa kwanangezona mikroskopu zinamandla. Kodwa xa kusetyenziswa izixhobo ezinjengecloud nebubble chamber nescintillation counters ziyakwazi ukubonwa xa zikho.
Ngoku abaphandi bayakwazi ukubona izinto ababengaziboni ngaphambili. Njengoko besenjenjalo bayakwazi ukubona ukubaluleka koko babekuqonda njengeendidi ezine ezisisiseko zamandla—umxhuzulane, amandla emagnethi, amandla angaphantsi kwawenyukliya abizwa ngokuba “ngamandla amancinane” “namandla amakhulu.” Ezinye izazinzulu ziye zaphum’ iphulo zifuna oko kuthiwa “kukwazi yonke into,” nto leyo ezithemba ukuba iya kuzinika ingcaciso epheleleyo ngendalo iphela, ukususela kwizinto ezibonakalayo ukuya kutsho kwezingabonakaliyo.
Ziziphi izifundo ezinokufundwa ekuboneni izinto ezingenakubonwa liliso nje lilodwa? Yaye ngokusekelwe koko baye bakufunda, ziziphi izigqibo abaye bafikelela kuzo abaninzi? Amanqaku alandelayo anikela impendulo.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 3]
Imifanekiso yeeathom ekuthiwa zii-“nickel” (ngasentla) neeathom ekuthiwa zii-“platinum”
[Inkcazelo]
Courtesy IBM Corporation, Research Division, Almaden Research Center