William Draper Harkins

William Draper Harkins was an American physical chemist, noted for his contributions to surface chemistry and nuclear chemistry. He is also recognized now as one of the first environmental chemists. Harkins and his student E.D. Wilson made careful analysis of the atomic nucleus demonstrating difference between chemical and atomic species now called isotopes. As part of this work Harkin was the first to analyze the abundance of elements in meteors as a indication of composition of the Early Solar System. As a visiting professor with Fritz Haber in 1909, he was introduced to the study of surface tension, and he began work on the theory of solutions and solubility during a visit to MIT in 1909-1910.