When Obsession Becomes Deadly: The Life of Marie Curie Essay

When Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity in 1896, it inspired Marie and Pierre to investigate it further. They researched a lot of substances for any signs of radioactivity, and discovered something that was more radioactive than uranium. They discovered radium, an element that damaged tissue, so they used that to fight against cancer. “They found that the mineral pitchblende was more radioactive than uranium and concluded that it must contain other radioactive substances. From it they managed to extract two previously unknown elements, polonium and radium, both more radioactive than uranium” (Nobel Media). These discoveries led to radium being used to treat cancer and other diseases, and them getting their first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903. After Pierre passed away, she continued with her own studies. Marie successfully isolated radium and proved its existence. She also studied the properties and compounds of these radioactive elements. “She also documented the properties of the radioactive elements and their compounds. Radioactive compounds became important as sources of radiation in both scientific experiments and in the field of medicine, where they are used to treat tumors” (Nobel Media). This discovery led to the further development of X-rays and her receiving her second Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. Marie Curie was the first woman ever to win two Nobel Prizes in two fields and in multiple sciences, two incredible

Early 1939, the scientist of the world learned that German scientist had discovered a way to spit a uranium atom, created

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,

He goes off and tells the story of Marie Cruz’s findings of new elements and her deep love for chemistry. Although Marie passes away, her legacy lives on through her daughter Irene Joliot-Curie. Irene and her husband found a way to cultivate radioactive elements which allowed her to earn Nobel Prize. Kean states that a great injustice was done to Lise Meitner, her discovery of protactinium was not awarded with a Nobel Prize. Ch.

My paper is about Irene Joliot – Curie the Nobel – Peace Prize winner that created the first artificial radioactive element. Her life was very successful and fulfilling. Irene’s life was very successful, because she accomplished many things and inspired future scientist. Her and her mom’s work was very useful in World War I. Her work with radiation also became very important to new discoveries of atoms.

This how she made the X-ray basically by trial and error. Maries invention of the X- ray changed the world extensively.

German physicist, Otto Hahn and German chemist, Fritz Strassmann, began conducting experiments on uranium when, in 1938, the two were completely bewildered by the results of their experiment and sent the outcome to physicist Lise Meitner who was astounded by the results as well. Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassmann, and Lise Meitner had become the first to recognize that uranium could split and release energy. ("Harnessing of Nuclear Fission.") Soon after though, the war started.

The discovery and isolation of radium by Marie Curie, collaborating with her husband Pierre curie, between 1898 and 1902, is often regarded as a story of elemental simplicity. The heroic legend that has grown up around her name - epitomized by Albert Einstein's comment that 'Marie Curie is, of all celebrated beings, the only one whom fame has not corrupted', and symbolized by today's charity Marie Curie Cancer Care - has emphasized this view.

Marie Curie was lucky enough to have her husband and his brother invent the electrometer that aided in her research. According to a book written by Harry Henderson, “The most important piece of equipment was the electrometer that Pierre and his brother had invented” (Henderson 23). While Marie was researching her new element, radium, her husband and his brother were inventing a new piece of equipment. This would push Marie’s research to the breaking point of finding the pure element of radium. During her time there were many other people in the same position as her, but when she was introduced to this tool she ended up advancing very quickly through the research. She was a creature of chance to have this invention be invented for her by her husband. Furthermore, Marie used many other scientist’s element and supplies for her research. As stated in a book by Kathleen Krull, “Very persuasive when she needed something for her work, she begged and borrowed samples of elements for other scientists, including her old professors” (Krull 51). Marie was not one to give up when she did not have the right materials need. She was always persistent and kept going, whether it meant borrowing elements from others or finding new ways. She was very well known during her time and was very famous in the science community. If it wasn’t for her success and her working with many others,

Marie’s father, Wladyslaw Sklodowska, instructed math and physics. Due to the loss of her mother, Bronislawa Sklodowska, when Marie was ten, the majority of her time was spent beside her father. Since her father was an instructor of both math and physics, that is where Marie Curie’s beginning passion came from. Persistence raced through Marie’s veins when it came to lab work because women did not typically become scientist during this time period. Marie advanced to attend Warsaw’s floating University after being a top student during all of her secondary

Before the First World War, German scientists James Franck and Gustav Hertz conducted experiments where they added electrons to Mercury atoms. They traced the energy changes that the collision caused. That experiment led Nils Bohr to make a theory that an atom can absorb energy in precise and definite amounts. After that experiment, many other scientists conducted research on radioactive methods to chemical problems and conducted more experiments on how elements would react when elements

The Manhattan Project is well known to have developed the first two atomic bombs, fat man, and little boy, but nuclear technology was being researched many years before this. Uranium was first found in 1789 by Martin Klaproth, and was discovered to have ionizing radiation in 1895 by Wilhelm Rontgen (Outline History of Nuclear Energy). More and more information on uranium and other materials were being discovered, such as: radioactive materials emitting alpha particles in 1896 by Henri Becquerel, in 1902 the discovery of radiation being a spontaneous event by Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr and his increased understanding of the atom, in 1932 when James Chadwick discovered the neutron, etc. Other nations also spent resources on developing nuclear technology such as in Russia with their Radium Institute of Leningrad FTI, but was hampered with Stalin’s purges that eliminated prominent scientists working there; British scientists developed the concept of the atomic bomb with the MAUD committee in 1940 and continued research on the

     Pierre was so interested in Marie's work, that he joined forces with her. Her research had revealed that two uranium ores, pitchblende and chalcolite were much more radioactive that pure uranium. Marie concluded that the highly radioactive nature of these ores may possibly be due to undiscovered elements.

Marie curie made history in 1903 when she became the first woman to get a Nobel Prize in physics. With their prize winning the Curie’s got an international reputation for their scientific efforts. With the prize money they continued their research and went even further. The next year in 1904, they had their second daughter Eve. In 1906 Marie suffered a tremendous loss; when Pierre accidentally

With her experiments, she became the first woman in France to get a doctorate. Curie decided to continue Henri Becquerel’s experiments with X-rays. She came up with the groundbreaking idea that the rays were actually an atomic property. The paper she wrote reporting her discoveries had to be presented through her professor because women weren’t allowed to address the Academy of Sciences. With this, she continued her work to find new elements. First, she found polonium, which is named for her home country, and then she discovered radium. Pierre and Marie’s greatest work was done in a run-down shed. They worked from 1898 to 1902. The Curies could have made a fortune if they patented their process of extracting and refining radium, but they decided share their knowledge with the world.