Radium (Ra) by Carolina Payeras
Element Icon
Radium is the 88th element on the periodic table. It belongs to the Alkaline Earth Metal family and is the heaviest of them all. The atomic number is 88. Radium is somewhat rare. It is EXTREMELY radioactive.
Bohr model of Radium
Electron Dot Diagram
Physical Properties
- Atomic Number: 88
- Atomic Mass: 226
- Melting Point in °C : 700.0° C
- Boiling Point in °C : 1737.0° C
- Decomposes in water
- Normal state of matter at room temperature : Solid
- Metal, non-metal or metalloid: Metal
- Rare or Common: Rare
- Appearance : Rock, pure form is silvery white metal
- Radium is a luminous metal, and it glows in the dark
History
- Radium symbol= Ra
- Where it is found: Ores in Bohemia, Colorado, Republic of Zaire and the Great Lakes region of Canada
- Who discovered it: Marie Sklodowska Curie and Pierre Curie
- When was it discovered: 1898
- How: Marie Curie and Pierre Curie searching through pitchblende - rock of mixed elements
- Origin of its name: Radium comes from the Latin word meaning “ray” because radium is very radioactive and reacts with oxygen and water
- Marie Curie's notebooks were found so radioactive, since she was experimenting with so many radioactive materials, that they are still to dangerous to touch
Marie Curie
Industrial Uses
- Paint from the salts
- Watches/Clocks
- Used in treating cancer - gamma radiation - radiation therapy- eradicates
Radiation Therapy in London Hospital
Interesting Facts
- 85th most abundant element on the Earth's crust
- Used for the 1909 Rutherford gold foil experiment -main source - discovery of atomic nucleus
- About one million times more active than uranium
Uranium
Rutherford expermient
Bibliography
- Generalic, Eni. "Radium." EniG. Periodic Table of the Elements. KTF-Split, 22 Apr. 2016. Web. 15 May. 2016. <http://www.periodni.com/ra.html>.
- Live Science Staff. "Facts About Radium." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 2016. Web. 16 May 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/39623-facts-about-radium.html>.
- Dobberpuhl, David A. "Radium." - Chemistry Encyclopedia. Advameg, 2016. Web. 16 May 2016. <http://www.chemistryexplained.com/Pr-Ro/Radium.html>.
- Bentor, Yinon. Radium. Digital image. Chemical Elements. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2016. <http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/ra.html>.
- Society, American Chemical. "Periodic Table of Elements." American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society, 2016. Web. 24 May 2016. <http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/periodictable.html>