ASSIGNMENT: and Pierre Curie successfully isolate radioactive radium salts from

the mineral pitchblende in their laboratory in Paris.

1. Give the contribution of the following to radioactivity:
c. Ernest Rutherford
a. Henri Becquerel
- studied the absorption of radioactivity by thin sheets of
- was a French physicist, Nobel laureate, and the first
metal foil and found two components: alpha (a) radiation, which is
person to discover evidence of radioactivity. The SI unit for
absorbed by a few thousandths of a centimeter of metal foil, and
radioactivity, the becquerel (Bq), is named after him. Becquerel
beta (b) radiation, which can pass through 100 times as much foil
thought that phosphorescent materials, such as some uranium
before it was absorbed. Shortly thereafter, a third form of radiation,
salts, might emit penetrating X-ray-like radiation when illuminated
named gamma (g) rays, was discovered that can penetrate as
by bright sunlight.
much as several centimeters of lead. The three kinds of radiation
-In 1896 Henri Becquerel was using naturally fluorescent minerals
also differ in the way they are affected by electric and magnetic
to study the properties of x-rays. He exposed potassium uranyl
fields.
sulfate to sunlight and then placed it on photographic plates
wrapped in black paper, believing that the uranium absorbed the -discovered the concept of radioactive half-life, proved that
sun’s energy and then emitted it as x-rays. This proved that the radioactivity involved the nuclear transmutation of one chemical
uranium emitted radiation without an external source of energy element to another, and also differentiated and named alpha and
such as the sun. The new radiation was bent by the magnetic field beta radiation.
so that the radiation must be charged and different than x-rays.
2. Compare and contrast the ionizing & penetrating properties of:
When different radioactive substances were put in the magnetic
field, they deflected in different directions or not at all, showing that a. Alpha
there were three classes of radioactivity: negative, positive, and - Alpha radiation occurs when an atom undergoes
electrically neutral. radioactive decay, giving off a particle (called an alpha particle)
b. Marie and Pierre Curie consisting of two protons and two neutrons (essentially the nucleus
of a helium-4 atom), changing the originating atom to one of an
- are best known for their pioneering work in the study of
element with an atomic number 2 less and atomic weight 4 less
radioactivity, which led to their discovery in 1898 of the elements
than it started with. Due to their charge and mass, alpha particles
radium and polonium. The more uranium the minerals contained,
interact strongly with matter, and only travel a few centimeters in
the higher strength radiation. Marie also found this radiation in
air. Alpha particles are unable to penetrate the outer layer of dead
minerals containing the element thorium. On April 20, 1902, Marie
skin cells, but are capable, if an alpha emitting substance is
ingested in food or air, of causing serious cell damage.
b. Beta
- Beta radiation takes the form of either an electron or a
positron (a particle with the size and mass of an electron, but with
a positive charge) being emitted from an atom. Due to the smaller
mass, it is able to travel further in air, up to a few meters, and can
be stopped by a thick piece of plastic, or even a stack of paper. It
can penetrate skin a few centimeters, posing somewhat of an
external health risk. However, the main threat is still primarily from
internal emission from ingested material.
c. Gamma
- Gamma radiation, unlike alpha or beta, does not consist of
any particles, instead consisting of a photon of energy being
emitted from an unstable nucleus. Having no mass or charge,
gamma radiation can travel much farther through air than alpha or
beta, losing (on average) half its energy for every 500 feet. Gamma
waves can be stopped by a thick or dense enough layer material,
with high atomic number materials such as lead or depleted
uranium being the most effective form of shielding.
3. Identify the particle referred to by the following symbols: