The Discovery of Radioactivity and its Effects Essay

Radiation was discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Roentgen during a scientific experiment. Roentgen, classified radioactivity into three concepts: negative, positive, and electrically neutral. Radiation- is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. Technology is created with radiation and humans are exposed to the aspect daily with tons or material; especially in the doctor’s office and everywhere else.

With the development of atomic energy and the atomic bomb, radiation sources were becoming more numerous, and knowledge of the pathways of radiation and accumulation points for radiation in ecosystems was needed.

The U.S’s research in nuclear weapons in the 1940’s contributed to ending the second world war as well as led the way to bountiful ideas in scientific research that we still use today.

Before the Manhattan Project, in the beginning there were many advancements in understanding made in the world of physics. These resulted in the recognition of nuclear fission and its potential as an energy source and as a potential weapon. Of these advancements none was more central and important than the development of the nuclear model of the atom, which by the year of 1932 contained a nucleus containing most of the mass of an atom in the form of two particles, protons and neutrons. This nucleus was surrounded by an electron shell. Previously it was thought that atoms were the smallest form of matter therefore ultimately stable and indivisible. However, in 1919 Ernest Rutherford was able to break apart the nucleus of nitrogen with

Principle”. The French team of Pierre and Marie Curie who are known as the parents of nuclear physics came to the realization that the atom has a core, or nucleus. It became apparent that different laws of physics govern the nucleus. In Cambridge England, Sir J.J. Thomson who in 1897 discovered the electron and his pupil Lord Ernest Rutherford discovered the proton. The history of the atomic age was coming right along on a steady pace then in 1905 Albert Einstein wrote the mass-energy conversion equation, and things started to progress very rapidly. In 1932 Sir James Chadwick discovered the neutron, this rovided an ideal projectile for splitting the atom. The final clue to the neutron and atomic energy was when an observation was noted that a peculiar property of the radiation emitted when beryllium is bombarded with alpha particles. In 1938 the discovery of fission of the uranium nucleus by neutron bombardment. In 1940 President Roosevelt organized the National Defense Research Committee, which was determined to develop an atomic bomb. Development and construction of the atomic bomb was the most closely guarded secret in scientific history. This was a

During the early 1940’s atomic science had just began to mature. Many people were exploring the powerful mystery of the atom. Two of those people were Eugene Booth and John Dunning, who, in 1941, synthesized uranium-235. Immense scientific growth followed their contribution, since it allowed for nuclear fission (Griffith). In the years following this discovery, nuclear science took a turn. Once only used as a constructive power source, atoms began being explored for their destructive power. In 1942 the United States government funded the Manhattan Project that sole goal was to develop a nuclear bomb. The initiator for this endeavor was surprisingly the famous scientist Albert Einstein. He wrote to Franklin D. Roosevelt , and tipped him off

This is what led Curie to take Becquerel’s work a few steps further and conduct her own experiments on uranium rays. She discovered that the rays were constant no matter what form or condition of the uranium. She theorized the rays came from the atomic structure. This idea was revolutionary and created its own field in science, known as the atomic physics, this is when Marie coined the word “radioactivity” to describe the phenomena. Even when they had their first daughter Irene in 1897 there work did not slow. Pierre then stopped his own studies to help Marie with her new discovery of radioactivity. In 1898 they discovered a new radioactive element. They named it polonium after Marie’s native country, Poland. They detected the presence of another radioactive element and called this radium. In 1902 they had extracted pure radium to prove its existence as a unique chemical element.

This source I decided to choose to write about is Marie Curie’s “On the Discovery of Radium”. This was a firsthand account by Madame Marie Curie herself when she addressed Vasser College on May 14th 1921. Madame Curie, while discussing her past with the discovery of radium, could have talked about the whole history of her experimentation, but broke it down to a very brief account. I will have to say, that even though it was a short and brief writing, it took longer to read due to the lack of my ability for me to understand what was being explained. However, Madame Curie was able to briefly give a description of what the process was for her and her husband to discover radium.

Whenever you get an x-ray, do you ever wonder how it works? X-rays use radioactive materials that give off invisible rays, which leave dark smudges on photographic plates. Many scientists helped to discover what we know about radiation and chemistry. Marie Curie made several discoveries about radiation and chemistry and what we know about them today. Marie Curie, even as a small child, worked very hard and pursued her education.

The pioneering work of Becquerel in 1896 (the discovery of uranium), and the Curies (who subsequently discovered radium and polonium and the energy and heat given off by these new elements which they called radioactivity) led to the remarkable work of Ernest Rutherford. He was a physicist, whose experiments showed that some heavier elements spontaneously changed or decayed into lighter elements (unstable 'parent' elements giving off protons and neutrons to form a 'daughter' element) through the process of radioactivity. He discovered that radioactive materials decay at a very predictable rate, and that lead was the final decay product of uranium. Using Rutherford's ideas, Bertram Boltwood pioneered a method of radiometric dating in 1907. He hypothesized that since he knew how long it takes uranium to break down, he could measure the proportions of lead in uranium ores, and use his calculations to date how long those ores had existed,

Also while he was there, he was invited by Professor J.J Thomason to study the conductivity of gases, resulting in a paper about dividing atoms and molecules into ions. This lead Rutherford on to taking a closer look at ion-producing radiations and he discovered that putting uranium near foil will result in one type of radiation being easily soaked up or blocked, while another type had no problem penetrating the same foil. Then, he labeled the two radiation types “alpha” and “beta.” He then found out that the alpha particle was the same as the nucleus of the helium atom, and the beta was the same as an electron or composition. He took a professorship at McGill University of Montreal and left Cambridge in 1902. In 1903, he and Fredrick Soddy introduced their disintegration theory of radioactivity, and it claimed that radioactive energy was emitted from within an atom and that when alpha and beta particles were emitted at the same time they caused a chemical change across elements. Rutherford and Bertam Borden Boltwood, continued to categorize radioactive elements into what they called a “decay series.” Rutherford was honored with discovering the radioactive gas radon while at McGill. He achieved fame for his contributions to understanding of radioelements, and published many magazine

As more information becomes available to the public about the detrimental effect of excessive radiation on human health, the United States government has entrusted the NRC with protecting of the public from exposure to nuclear products. To this end, the NRC is constantly putting out

Within the western hemisphere, neighboring countries United States and Mexico have established an interesting relationship since their rise of independence. Within this relationship, several differences appear. These nations have had their fair share of struggles; yet both manage to coexist fairly well. When comparing both of these countries on the basis of commerce, education, and political stability the commonalities, discrepancies, and relationships become evident. As well as, the factors for the mass Mexican immigration to the United States and the harmful effects that result the country of Mexico as a whole.

Supernatural and temporal elements are popular devices used in romantic literature. Supernatural elements are things that go beyond the natural realm such as spirits and demons, and temporal elements are a part of the physical world such as nature and flaws in humanity. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, a romantic novel, consists of mystic and secular facets that enhance the plot and tone of the novel as well as creating conflicts. Supernatural elements provide contrast between Puritan beliefs and witchcraft, and temporal elements provide contrast between the sins and flaws of society and the purity of nature. The devil is a supernatural being that imposes itself into the character, Roger Chillingworth. The temporal fault of hypocrisy shows in Dimmesdale’s character and the judgmental nature of the townspeople. The role of the forest is both a supernatural and temporal element because it is a very spiritual place and provides an escape from the secular world.

It was a rainy Monday morning. I was fast asleep in my bed and suddenly there was a loud rumbling noise as if there was an earthquake and all the vessels were falling off the shelf.