![]() Today, the temperature at which permanent magnetism disappears is known as the "Curie point." Pierre later discovered a fundamental relationship between magnetic properties and temperature. They used this effect to build a piezoelectric quartz electrometer to measure faint electric currents, which Marie would use in her research. ![]() They found that when pressure is applied to certain crystals, they generate electrical voltage, and when placed in an electric field, those same crystals became compressed. He earned a master's degree by age 18, and three years later discovered the piezoelectric effect with his older brother, Jacques. The son of a respected physician, Pierre had the benefit of private tutoring as a child, soon demonstrating a passion and gift for mathematics. In the spring of 1894, Marie's search for laboratory space led to a fateful introduction to Pierre Curie, a scientist some 10 years her senior who had done pioneering work on magnetism. Although her math and science background was woefully inadequate, Marie worked hard to catch up with her peers, and eventually finished first in her master's degree physics course, also earning a second in mathematics the following year. Marie set out for Paris, in the fall of 1891 to pursue studies at the University of Paris' prestigious Sorbonne. She worked as a governess for several years, helping pay for Bronya's tuition at medical school in Paris.įinally, it was her turn. Instead, she, her sister Bronya, and several other friends attended a "floating university": an illegal night school whose classes met in changing locations to evade the czarist authorities. ![]() Marie could not enroll at the University of Warsaw women were not admitted. The family was poor, but her father exposed Marie and all her siblings to the classics of literature, as well as science. Her father was a schoolteacher who had lost his prestigious position because of his pro-Polish sentiments at a time when Poland was divided up among Austria, Prussia and czarist Russia. Pierre and Marie Curie made history not only in that respect, but also because their scientific teamwork led to the discovery of radioactivity and two new elements in the periodic table, for which they shared the Nobel Prize in Physics.Ī native of Poland, Marie Curie was born Maria Sklodowska. Women physicists were a rarity in the 19 th century, but even rarer were husband-and-wife collaborative teams. Stored radium requires ventilation to prevent the build-up of radon gas.Pierre and Marie Curie shortly after their wedding. Radium loses about 1% of its activity over 25 years, with lead as its final disintegration product. A gram of radium produces around 0.0001 ml (STP) of radon gas (emanation) per day and about 1000 calories per year. A single gram of Ra-226 decays at the rate of 3.7x10 10 disintegrations per second. It produces neutrons when mixed with beryllium. Radium emits alpha, beta, and gamma rays. Radium and its salts exhibit luminescence and impart a carmine color to flame. ![]() It is somewhat more volatile than the element barium. Pure radium metal is bright white when freshly prepared, although it blackens upon exposure to air. Radium has a melting point of 700☌, boiling point of 1140☌, specific gravity estimated to be 5, and valence of 2. ![]()
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