The Discovery of Radiation

Henri Becquerel
Henri Bequerel discovered radioactive materials whilst investigating the properties of X-rays
using natural, fluorescent materials. He used one of these, called Potassium Uranyl Sulfate,
and exposed it to sunlight hoping that it would absorb the sun’s energy and emit it back as
X-rays. Becquerel tried to demonstrate this by putting the Potassium Uranyl Sulfate on a
photographic plate wrapped in black paper. If the plate showed an image on it, the he
believed that the object was emitting X-rays and after testing Potassium Uranyl Sulfate, he
saw that there was a mark on it. He concluded that this was the result of X-rays. However,
many people in Paris did not believe him and so it was disapproved. However, Henri dd not
give up, he continued to develop photographic plates and discovered that Uranium emitted
a substance without an external source of energy such as the sun. He soon discovered that
this substance could not be X-rays because these cannot be bent in a magnetic field and this
substance could. The substances were also deflected by the magnetic field in three different
directions which meant that this new substance was electrically charged and could either be
positive, negative and neutral.

Mary Curie
Mary Curie and he husband Pierre Curie continued Becquerel’s work by investigating
invisible rays given off by uranium. Marie Curie called the new rays radioactive. Her and her
husband continued their work and found that there was something more reactive than the
uranium in the uranium ore because it could not be uranium alone which was emitting
radiation. They also discovered that this new substance was only available in tiny amounts
and believed that they had found a new element. After lots of work, they found the new
substance was 330x more radioactive than uranium called polonium. They also discovered
radium a while later.

Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford discovered alpha, beta and gamma particles. Alpha particles are bigger
than beta and gamma particles and so move slower and interact with matter easier. Beta
particles are smaller and faster and also electrically charges. Gamma rays have no electric
charge and can penetrate large distances before interacting with materials. Ernest
Rutherford discovered all this through many experiments.