marie

ccurie
re by Kristin
Doherty

a timeline of Marie Curie’s endeavors with radioactivity

1867 1891 1893 1895 1895 1896
Marie Curie Marie travels to Earned her Marie and Uses of X-rays Becquerel discov-
born in Warsaw Paris to study degree in physics Pierre marry discovered ered radioactivity

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 elements, Marie Curie founded the Radium duce. One ton of uranium only contains
a breif biography Institute in Paris. This became the main .0001 grams of polonium. It can also be cre-
Marie Sklodowska was born in
location for studying radioactivity. There, ated with beta decay of bismuth. However,
Warsaw in November of 1867. Her thirst
Marie and her fellow scientists continued to one microcurie of polonium costs about
for knowledge and value of education was
isolate and purify polonium and radium so $3200. Its uses include eliminating static
instilled in her at a young age by her par-
that there was enough for practical use. The electricity in machinery or removing dust
ents, both primary school teachers. Even so,
Institute housed about between 40 and 50 from photographic films. Of course, polo-
Marie’s education could only reach a cer-
researchers, who studied the properties and nium must be used carefully and must be
tain level—advanced studies were not pos-
uses of the radioactive elements every day. sealed as to prevent the user contamination
sible in Poland for females. And so for years
Some of the discoveries made in the Insti- or radiation.
Marie dreamed of studying chemistry and
tute led to the confirmation of quantum Like polonium, radium is too radioactive
physics in Paris, but it seemed impossible on
theory. to have many practical uses. However, radium
her family’s means. Soon, she and her elder
Marie Curie received two Nobel Prizes: is much easier to come by than polonium.
sister devised a plan to raise enough funds
one in physics for the discovery of radioac- It is rarely sold as pure radium—usually, it
for travel and stay in Paris.
tive elements, and the second in chemistry can be obtained as either radium chloride
At age 24, Marie finally traveled to Paris
or radium bromide. Originally, radium was
to study at the Sorbonne. She earned her
used in watches, and would allow watches
degree in physics in 1893, and then a degree
in mathematics the following year. That
same year, she met Pierre Curie, and they
Nothing in life is to ‘glow in the dark.’ Of course, watches like
this are not made anymore because of the
harms of radioactivity.
married the next year.
Soon after, Marie and Pierre began work- to be feared, As World War I ensued, Marie and her
daughter Irene dedicated themselves to using
ing closely with Antoine Henri Becquerel,
who had discovered that uranium gave off
potentially radioactive radiations. From that
it is only to be their knowledge to help wounded soldiers.
Marie learned to use X-rays, and helped heal
soldiers. She and Irene ignored the risk of
point on, Marie’s studies increased tremen-
dously, leading her to make numerous dis- understood. being over exposed to X-rays because they
knew their actions were saving the lives of
coveries and earning her countess awards.

marie’s studies
Now is the time many soldiers. During this time, Marie also
started collecting radon, a gas emitted from
radium, which was used by doctors across
Marie started studying pitchblende,
an ore that eventually proved to contain ura- to understand the country. The radon would be directly
injected to a patient’s body because it could
nium. Her husband had devised piezoelec-
tric techniques that allowed her to measure
the radiations in pitchblende. Pitchblende
more, so that we destroy diseased tissue quickly.
Marie’s war efforts have had a lasting
effect on the medical world. Radium is
had stronger radiations than uranium, and
she realized that the ore must have more may fear less. used still to produce of radon, which can
be used as a cancer treatment. The Curie’s
unknown and stronger radioactive elements
in it. Her extensive work on the material
eventually led to the discovery of two new
-Marie Curie studies also helped other scientists and
health professionals to discover the effects
of radioactivity on the body, as well as uses
elements: polonium and radium, which the
for radiotherapy. Now, doctors and patients
Curies announced together in 1898.
for isolating pure radium. She was the first are very careful whenever they are around
Pierre and Marie dedicated themselves to
female to win a Nobel Prize. radioactivity and always take necessary pre-
learning the properties of these elements—
cautions, unlike Curie.
Pierre studied the physical characteristics of
a long lasting impact Undoubtedly, Marie Curie’s work has had
it, while Marie worked to isolate pure radium
Since the discovery of radium, polonium, a lasting impact on the world. Without her
in its metallic state. Even after Pierre’s death,
and radioactivity, many advances in nuclear efforts in research and in practice, the way
Marie was focused on her studies of radium
physics and chemistry have been made. we view radioactivity could be completely
and radium compounds. She was intrigued
Over the years, several uses for both polo- different.
by the potential use of radium and polonium
in nuclear physics and in the medical field. nium and radium have been discovered.
After spending years studying the new Polonium is extremely difficult to pro-

1889
1897 Curies announces 1903 1904 1911
Marie’s first discovery of two Marie receives Marie’s second Marie receives 1906
daughter is born new elements first Nobel Prize daughter is born second Nobel Prize Pierre’s death

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Job No.: 19116 Page No.
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School Name: Naperville North High School

TCID:PP
PFS Date: 11/16/2010 Time: 13:08 GTS was run also.