Final answer:
Clair Patterson faced inconsistencies in his lead experiments due to environmental contamination and the common ion effect. The difficulty scientists have in deviating from established values also contributed to skepticism around new findings.
Step-by-step explanation:
Clair Patterson obtained inconsistent results in his experiments with lead due to contamination issues. His initial experiments aimed at determining the age of the Earth through uranium-lead dating resulted in skewed lead measurements. Patterson's meticulous research eventually identified that lead was pervasive in the environment, including in his laboratory, which contaminated his samples and led to unreliable data.
Furthermore, the common ion effect, a phenomenon where a substance's solubility decreases in a solution containing an ion it has in common, affected his results. The psychological weight of established scientific values also played a role in the scientific community's reluctance to accept new findings that deviated from the norm, as explained through Richard Feynman's observations on the resistance to change Millikan's value for fundamental charge. Just like other scientists, Patterson faced challenges in overcoming preconceived notions and demonstrating the validity of his findings.