RADIUM Meaning and
Definition
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Radium is a naturally occurring, highly radioactive metallic element with the chemical symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It belongs to the alkaline earth metal group and is found in trace amounts in various minerals, including uranium ores. Radium is known for its luminescent properties, emitting a faint blue glow when exposed to air.
Physically, radium is a silver-white, lustrous, and soft metal that rapidly tarnishes when exposed to air. It is highly reactive, especially with water, and is known for its ability to ignite hydrogen gas. Radium is unstable and undergoes radioactive decay, emitting alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays. This decay process, known as radioluminescence, is responsible for its glow.
Discovery of radium is credited to Pierre and Marie Curie, who isolated it from pitchblende, a uranium-rich mineral, in 1898. The element gained significant attention due to its radioactive properties and was once widely used in various applications, including in the medical field for cancer treatments and in luminous paints for clock dials and instrument panels.
However, due to its highly toxic nature and the health risks associated with exposure to radioactivity, the use of radium has significantly declined over time. Today, its applications are mostly limited to the industrial sector, where it is used in radiographic testing and in the production of self-luminous items such as emergency exit signs. Strict precautions are necessary when handling radium, and it is subject to regulatory restrictions to ensure public safety.
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A metallic element, symbol Ra, atomic weight 226.4, extracted in very minute quantities from pitchblende; it is nonexistent, so far as known, in a free state. Radium salts possess the property of radioactivity to a degree greater than that of any other known substance, 100,000 times more than uranium; it is fluorescent and imparts this quality to other substances, causes gases to become conductors of electricity, discharges electrified bodies, and affects a photographic plate through opaque substances. It gives forth three kinds of rays, known as alpha (a), beta (b), and gamma (v) (see under ray), and also a radioactive gas or emanation (niton). Its therapeutic action is similar to that of the x-rays, being employed in the treatment of lupus and other skin diseases, and of carcinoma and sarcoma. It causes extensive "burns" of the skin when applied too long and without a proper shield. The many known disintegration products of radium emanation are called respectively radium A, B, C1, C2, D (radiolead), E1, E2, and F (polonium, or radiotellurium).
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
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Etymology of RADIUM
The word "radium" is derived from the Latin word "radius", which means "ray" or "beam". It was named by Polish-French physicist and chemist Marie Curie, who discovered the element in 1898 along with her husband Pierre Curie. They named it "radium" because of its highly radioactive nature, emitting rays and energy. The choice of this name reflects the element's ability to produce powerful radiation.
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