AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY–BANGLADESH (AIUB)

FACULTY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

PHYSICS 1 ASSIGNMENT

Spring 2022-2023

Section:C-1, Group:08

Marie Curie

The Trailblazing Scientist: Marie Curie and Her Pioneering Contributions to Physics and Chemistry

SUBMITTED TO:

DR. FARZANA SABETH

Submitted By

Name ID Contribution
1. Nafiya Mst.Nazmun Nahar 23-50203-1 Her Invention or Contribution to the Scientific
World, Contribution to the Society
2. Pragya Labani Ghosh 23-50120-1 Her Achievements, Background
3. Nusrat, Israt Jahan 23- 50226-1 Attractive and Interesting Part of her Life,
References
4. Prottasha Basak Chhuty 23-50018-1 Short Biography, Background
5.Bahesty Monfared 23-50188-1 Childhood History, Attractive and Interesting
Part of her Life

Date of Submission: February 19,2023

The Trailblazing Scientist: Marie Curie and
Her Pioneering Contributions to
Physics and Chemistry

 Background: Marie Sktodowska Curie is the most famous female scientist of all time who
poineered the field of radioactivity. Throughout her esteemed career she discovered two new
elements Radium and Polonium, founded Curie Institutes in Paris and Warsaw and helped treat
wounded soldiers during World War One, became first female professor of the University of
Paris. Marie Curie is reflection of her Quito"Humanity needs both practical men and dreams "
and her legacy is as strong today as it was in her time with various Institutions and awards
named in her honour. Marie Curie's love of all things science, her activities as humanitarian and
never rest on her laurels inspired us.

 Short Biography:Marie Curie, née Maria Sklodowska,was born in Warsaw on November 7,1867,
the daughter of a secondary-school teacher. She received a general education in local schools
and some scientific training from her father. She became involved in a students’ revolutionary
organization and found it prudent to leave Warsaw, then in the part of Poland dominated by
Russia, for Cracow, which at that time was under Austrian rule. In 1891, she went to Paris to
continue her studies at the Sorbonne where she obtained Licenciateships in Physics and the
Mathematical Sciences. She met Pierre Curie, Professor in the School of Physics in 1894 and in
the following year they were married. She succeeded her husband as Head of the Physics
Laboratory at the Sorbonne, gained her Doctor of Science degree in 1903, and following the
tragic death of Pierre Curie in 1906, she took his place as Professor of General Physics in the
Faculty of Sciences, the first time a woman had held this position. She was also appointed
Director of the Curie Laboratory in the Radium Institute of the University of Paris, founded in
1914.

Her early researches, together with her husband, were often performed under difficult
conditions, laboratory arrangements were poor and both had to undertake much teaching to
earn a livelihood. The discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel in 1896 inspired the Curies
in their brilliant researches and analyses which led to the isolation of polonium, named after
the country of Marie’s birth, and radium. Mme. Curie developed methods for the separation of
radium from radioactive residues in sufficient quantities to allow for its characterization and the
careful study of its properties, therapeutic properties in particular.

Marie Curie throughout her life actively promoted the use of radium to alleviate suffering and
during World War I, assisted by her daughter, Irene, she personally devoted herself to this
remedial work. She retained her enthusiasm for science throughout her life and did much to
establish a radioactivity laboratory in her native city – in 1929 President Hoover of the United
States presented her with a gift of $ 50,000, donated by American friends of science, to
purchase radium for use in the laboratory in Warsaw.

Marie Curie, quiet, dignified and unassuming, was held in high esteem and admiration by
scientists throughout the world. She was a member of the Conseil du Physique Solvay from 1911
until her death and since 1922 she had been a member of the Committee of Intellectual Co-
operation of the League of Nations. Her work is recorded in numerous papers in scientific
journals and she is the author of Recherches sur les Substances Radioactives (1904), L’Isotopie
et les Éléments Isotopes and the classic Traité’ de Radioactivité (1910).

The importance of Marie Curie’s work is reflected in the numerous awards bestowed on her.
She received many honorary science, medicine and law degrees and honorary memberships of
learned societies throughout the world. Together with her husband, she was awarded half of
the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903, for their study into the spontaneous radiation discovered by
Becquerel, who was awarded the other half of the Prize. In 1911 she received a second Nobel
Prize, this time in Chemistry, in recognition of her work in radioactivity. She also received, jointly
with her husband, the Davy Medal of the Royal Society in 1903 and, in 1921, President Harding
of the United States, on behalf of the women of America, presented her with one gram of
radium in recognition of her service to science.Marie Curie Curie died in Savoy, France, after a
short illness, on July 4, 1934.
 Childhood Stories:As Marie grew older her family came upon tough times.
Poland was under the control of Russia at the time. People were not even
allowed to read or write anything in the Polish language. Her father lost his job
because he was in favor of Polish rule. Then, when Marie was ten, her oldest
sister Zofia became sick and died from the disease typhus. Two years later her
mother died from tuberculosis. This was a difficult time for the young Marie.

After graduating from high school, Marie wanted to attend a university, but this
wasn't something that young women did in Poland in the 1800s. The university
was for men. However, there was a famous university in Paris, France called the
Sorbonne that women could attend. Marie did not have the money to go there,
but agreed to work to help pay for her sister Bronislawa to go to school in
France, if she would help Marie after she graduated.

 Attractive and Interesting Part of her Life:

 Marie became the Professor of Physics at the Sorbonne after her

husband died. She was the first woman to hold this position.
 Marie's husband Pierre was killed when he was run over by a carriage
in Paris in 1906.
 Marie became good friends with fellow scientist Albert Einstein.
 Her first daughter, Irene, won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work
with aluminum and radiation.
 Marie had a second daughter named Eve. Eve wrote a biography of her
mother's life.
 The Curie Institute in Paris, founded by Marie in 1921, is still a major
cancer research facility.

 Her Invention or Contribution to the Scientific World: Marie Curie was a groundbreaking
physicist and chemist who made significant contributions to the filed of Science.

Her most significant contribution to the world was the discovery of two elements, POLONIUM(400
time radioactive than Uranium) and RADIUM(900 time radiation then polonium). Together with
her husband, Pierre Curie, she developed a new technique for isolating radioactive isotopes, and
through this work, they discovered polonium in 1898. The following year, they announced the
discovery of radium, which proved to be an even more potent source of radiation.

The discovery of these elements was a groundbreaking achievement that revolutionized the
field of physics and chemistry. It paved the way for further research into nuclear physics and had
a profound impact on medical science. Radioactive isotopes have been used in medicine to
diagnose and treat a variety of conditions, including cancer.
Marie Curie's contributions to science extended beyond her work with radioactive materials.
 Her Achievements: Marie Curie was a giant in the fields of "Physics and Chemistry." She was the
first person to win two "Nobel Prizes." Also she is one of only two people ever to win the Noble
prize in two different fields.

From childhood she was remarkable for her prodigious memory, and at the age of 16 she won a
gold medal on completion of her secondary education at the Russian lycée.she received many
honorary science, medicine and law degrees and honorary membership of learned societies
throughout the world. Together with her husband,she was awarded half of the Noble prize for
Physics in 1903,with the physicist Henri Becquerel for their pioneering work developing the
theory of "radioactivity."-a term she coined.In 1911, she received a second Nobel Prize in
Chemistry for her discovery of the elements polonium and radium, using techniques she
invented for isolating radioactive isotopes.she also received, jointly with her husband, the Davy
Medal of the Royal society in 1903. In 1921, president Harding of the United States,on behalf of
the women of America presented her with one gram of radium in recognition of her service to
science. She was also awarded in her life:
1. Matteuccl Medal (1904)
2. Actonian Prize (1907)
3. Elliott Cresson Medal (1909)
4. Albert Medal (1910)

 References:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snn29wkKTi4&feature=youtu.be
 https://www.ducksters.com/biography/women_leaders/marie_curie.php
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie