How did Bragg's work influence science?
Our development of X-ray crystallography provided an entirely new method for investigating the atomic structure of matter. Before this, understanding the arrangement of atoms was largely theoretical. By applying precise measurement and logical deduction to the diffraction patterns produced by X-rays passing through crystals, we could map out these arrangements. This technique became indispensable not only for studying inorganic salts and minerals but also, significantly, for elucidating the complex structures of biological molecules. Science offers us the tools to understand, and this was a powerful new tool indeed.
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