5.1 - Nuclear Chemistry

What is Nuclear Chemistry? Nuclear Chemistry – the field of chemistry that deals with radioactivity, nuclear processes, and nuclear properties.

Wilhelm Roentgen German Physicist 1895 – detected wavelength of radiation for the first time known as X-Rays Won the first Physics Nobel Prize for his discovery in 1901 Known as “Father of Diagnostic Radiology”

Henri Becquerel The year after Roentgen discovery, Becquerel hypothesized that Uranium Salts might emit a type of X-Ray. At first he thought they needed to be in the presence of sunlight But he adjusted his hypothesis when he realized these salts would emit energy without any energy source Won 1903 Nobel Prize

Becquerel

Image of Becquerel's photographic plate which has been fogged by exposure to radiation from a uranium salt.

Marie and Pierre Curie Marie used a electrometer developed by Pierre to determine that the air around Uranium Salts conducted electricity. By 1898 she had discovered the element Thorium was radioactive.

In 1898 Pierre joined Marie in her research and the discovered that elements in the mineral pitchblend was radioactive. The called the element “Polonium*” and Radium The Curies were from Poland

The Curies eventually found the following about radiation: Causes air to increase electric conductivity Kills small organisms Increases temperature of area Won the Nobel Prize in 1903 Because of their lack of knowledge of the effects of radiation, Marie died in 1934 because a prolonged exposure to radiation. Pierre died in 1906 when a carriage ran over his head fracturing his skull.

Ernest Rutherford 1902 – showed transmutation and that certain elements spontaneously changed to other elements emitting different particles. (alpha, beta) In 1903 he named a third type of radiation known as gamma radiation. More types of radiation have been discovered since his time.