jan 1, 1897 - Curie and Radiactvity
Description:
In 1895 Wilhelm Roelnglen had discovered mysterious x-rays which could take photographs of bone and muscles.. Curie decided to investigate rays from uranium
She discovered that:
Uranium rays electrically charge the air they pass through. Such air can conduct electricity. Marie detected this using an electrometer Pierre and his brother had invented
The number of rays coming from uranium depends only on the amount of uranium present – not the chemical form of the uranium. From this she theorized correctly that the rays came from within the uranium atoms and not from a chemical reaction
The uranium minerals pitchblende and torbernite have more of an effect on the conductivity of air than pure uranium does. She theorized correctly that these minerals must contain another chemical element, more active than uranium.
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Timeline of the Atom
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