The discovery of radioactivity took place a long t Essays - Physics

The discovery of radioactivity took place a long time ago an over several years beginning when Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered x-rays in 1895. Roentgen worked in a lab at the University of Wurzburg when he found that fluorescence had penetrated a opague black paper and concluded that it must have been caused by rays. From this discovery x-rays were developed. Another scientist, Antoine Henri Becquerel heard of roentgen's x-rays and used a similar method to conduct his own experiment to learn more about x-rays. Becquerel created an experiment using photographic plates and florescent salt and intended to place two plates in the sunlight but do to overcast he was forced to wait. When he returned, Becquerel discovered that even without an energy source the salt that he placed on the plates still fluoresced. At that time Becquerel discovered radioactivity. However, even though becquerel discovered radioactivity Marie Curie is who became is who became best known for her discoveries with it. Marie Curie and her husband Pierre Curie were both scientists that began studying roentgen's x-ray and Becquerel discovery of radioactivity. Marie and Pierre used a device they created to measure extremely low electrical currents. By using that device, Marie discovered that uranium electrified the air. She later discovered that radioactivity came from the atom and not from molecules like originally thought. She later found three more radioactive elements Radium, Polonium, and Thorium. Marie and her husband both won the Nobel Prize for their discoveries make Marie the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. Unfortunately, though she faced an early death due to illness likely caused by her work in radioactivity and radiation exposure. Today, radioactive isotopes are used constantly in daily life. Items in your home, such as smoke detectors, have radioactive properties. Many industries use radioactivity every day in making their products. It can be used to sterile items, kill parasites, and to determine the ash content in coal. Also, radioactivity has been used to provide energy by nuclear power plants and has been used to create weapons such as the nuclear weapons used to bomb japan. Although radioactivity can seem very harmful and dangerous at times, it can also be very useful at saving lives as well. Today in medicine x-rays are used daily to diagnose injuries and illness in people. Radioactivity has also helped in developing MRI's and CT scans. It has also been used to treat cancers and other aggressive diseases. Many lives depend on radioactivity and radioactive isotopes everyday. Yes, it can be very scary to think about and dangerous when not handled properly. Radioactivity and radioactive isotopes bring a great threat through the capabilities of nuclear weapons and has brought great destruction with those weapons. Radioactivity even brought an early death to one of it's great discoverers, but even with all the harm, it too has done and could do there is no denying that the discoveries of radioactivity is truly a great one. Without it, many everyday items may not be available, and nevermind how many lives have been saved because of the equipment and medicine available because of radiation.