considered to be uncertain, or where the gap between points was so

great as to cause difficulty in perceiving the continuity of the curve.
From the original graphs the curves were copied over a light-table
onto tracing paper.

A somewhat natural sequence of subject matter

was arranged, progressing from soil
kingdoms.

through the plant and animal

Each graph was oriented by means of the 1000-day verti-

cal line.
Thus, the position of the curve in the series is no index of the

amount of radioactivity involved.

Absolute levels may be computed

by referring to the column of Table 1 headed ''Plate count, 1000 days."
For example, if for curve 25, the value of the plate count at 2300 days
were required, then reference to Table 1 would show a plate count at
Peet)

1000 days of 700, while the ordinates as scaled from Figure 1 on days
1000 and 2300 were 18 and 2.4 respectively.

The ratio, 2.4/18, is

multiplied by 700 to give a result of about 93 c/m, which is reasonably
close to the actual value,

90 c/m (original data,

not shown here).

Slopes of curves were scaled from the finished drawings of Figures
1-6, using a transparent slope-scaler calibrated in tenths from slope
-0.1 to -2.0 and by greater increments from -2.0 to -5.

For each

curve, the portions of markedly different slope were measured separately,
thus necessitating subjective interpretations as to what constituted a change
of slope.

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