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Radioactivity discovery
Beginner
Becquerel and the Curies discovered natural radiation.
Becquerel discovered spontaneous radiation from uranium in 1896; the Curies isolated polonium and radium. Rutherford classified alpha, beta and gamma rays.
Marie Curie won two Nobel prizes.
The radiation comes from nuclei, not electrons.
In more detail
Radioactivity was discovered by Becquerel in 1896 when uranium salts fogged photographic plates. Marie and Pierre Curie then identified new radioactive elements.
Real-world uses
- Radioactive dating and medicine grew from these discoveries.
- Radiation detectors are developed from this work.
- Doctors use radioactive tracers and sources in imaging and treatment, a use that began with the discoveries of radioactivity.
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Frequently asked questions
Who discovered radioactivity?
Henri Becquerel, in 1896.
What did the Curies discover?
The elements polonium and radium.
Who discovered radioactivity?
Henri Becquerel found it in 1896, and Marie and Pierre Curie studied and named it in subsequent work.
Related topics in Atomic & Nuclear Physics
Binding energy · Binding energy per nucleon · Nuclear force · Alpha decay · Beta decay · Gamma decay