Marie and Pierre Curie were credited with the discovery of radioactive
elements. They were husband and wife researching in Paris. Their
discovery occurred within the years 1896-1900.
Their discovery was influenced by other scientists who had recently
discovered interesting properties of Uranium. Marie tested all the
known elements in order to see if they had the same properties of
Uranium. Uranium was found to be emitting rays of energy and was found
to make air conduct electricity better. Marie tested the other elements
on the basis of whether or not the element could make air conduct
electricity better, like Uranium. Marie invented the word radioactivity
and is best known for discovering the radioactive elements polonium and
radium.
Radioactive elements are defined as elements that are capable of
spontaneous emission of radiation, either directly from unstable atomic
nuclei or as a consequence of a nuclear reaction. Radiation is the
propagation of energy in the form of waves or particles.
The positive effects of radioactive elements is that they can be
used in science and medicine and they are naturally occurring elements
in our environment. They are used in X-rays,in diagnosing diseases, and
in cancer therapy. They naturally occur in such places as the earth's
crust and in our own muscles, bones, and tissues.
The negative effect of radioactive elements is that they can cause
major health problems when they are present in high levels. Radioactive
elements cause radiation, and too much radiation has been linked to
tissue damage, cancer, genetic disorders, and even death. In fact Marie
Curie (known as "Madame Curie" in textbooks) actually died due to
radiation poisoning as a result of her research. There is an
interesting page on the work of the Curies at:
http://www.orcbs.msu.edu/radiation/radhistory/pierremariecurie.html.
(published on 10/22/2007)
