Radium

Radium By: Sue Van Phan Name: Radium Symbol: Ra Type: Alkaline Earth Metal Atomic Number: 88 Atomic Mass: 226 Electrons:88 Neutrons: 138 Protons:88 Electron Configuration: [Rn] 7s² Period Number 7 Group Number:2 **History** What is radium? How does radium look like? The element radium was first introduce by French chemist. Pierre Curie and Marie Skłodowska Curie in 1898 in Joachimsthal, North Bohemia. When they were discovering this new, fantastic element, they found out that the ore was more radioactive than uranium. This element get its name from a Latin word called, "radius" (ray). This element can also be found in small amounts in the uranium ores. They are commonly used in clocks, and watches back in the days, but because of the risk that people get when using radium paint it is no longer used to applied on clocks, watches, etc. When Marie and Pierre were doing an experiment on "pitchblende" (a type of mineral) they moved the uranium out. However, when they moved it out, they noticed that it was still radioactive.

Radium was highly radioactive. The draw back of this element was, it can caused serious fatal death to human being. When radium releases the maximum amount of radiation it will become extremely harmful.

** Uses ** However, radium is not just only an element, but can be treated for cancer too. Though radiation have a harmful effect on the living cells in our body, that means radium burn was most likely will be caused by the over exposures to the rays. Today, radium can be only used as a treatment to certain kinds of cancer only.

When radium was mixed with salt and zinc sulfide it will produce a luminescent light. Nevertheless, back in the days radium was used to create luminous paint for applying in clock numbers to make it glow in the dark.

**Chemical Property** This element has a luminescent color when it decomposes in water. If huge amount of radiation was released it will take over the marrow bone and start destroying all of the tissues that used to help make red blood cells. By that, it will highly cause bone cancer if it is not properly handle. It happen because of the contact of the physical property, there fore it will cause harm to people.

It has a brilliant white color when it was a pure metal. If huge amount of radiation was released it will take over the marrow bone and start destroying all of the tissues that used to help make red blood cells. By that, it will highly cause bone cancer if it is not properly handle. ** Common Forms ** The most commonly used form of radium is in medical forms of radiation for x-rays, M.R.I. machines, and other medical procedure**.** It is also can be found in uranium ore.
 * Physical Property **

Isotopes Radium has 33 different known isotopes, four of which are found in nature, with 226Ra being the most common. Radium undergoes radioactive decay, specifically **alpha decay** to become radon. Radium-226 undergoes alpha decay releasing that alpha particle, which is a helium-4 nucleus, to become radon-222. Also, through Gamma decay, Radium decays into Radon 222

** Electron Shells
 * ~ Isotope ||~ Atomic Mass ||~ Half Lives ||
 * Ra202 || || 0.7 milliseconds ||
 * Ra203 || || 1 milliseconds ||
 * Ra204 || 204.006 || 59 milliseconds ||
 * Ra205 || 205.006 || 210 milliseconds ||
 * Ra206 || 206.004 || 0.24 seconds ||
 * Ra207 || 207.004 || 1.3 seconds ||
 * Ra208 || 208.002 || 1.3 seconds ||
 * Ra209 || 209.002 || 4.6 seconds ||
 * Ra210 || :210.000 || 3.7 seconds ||
 * Ra211 || 211.0009 || 13 seconds ||
 * Ra212 || 211.9998 || 13 seconds ||
 * Ra213 || 213.0003 || 2.74 minutes ||
 * Ra214 || 214. || 2.46 seconds ||
 * Ra215 || 215.0027 || 1.59 milliseconds ||
 * Ra216 || 216.0035 || 182 nanoseconds ||
 * Ra217 || 217.0063 || 1.6 microseconds ||
 * Ra218 || 218.0071 || 25.6 microseconds ||
 * Ra219 || 219.0101 || 10 milliseconds ||
 * Ra220 || 220.011 || 18 milliseconds ||
 * Ra221 || 221.0139 || 28 seconds ||
 * Ra222 || 222.0154 || 38 seconds ||
 * Ra223 || 223.0185 || 11.435 days ||
 * Ra224 || 224.0202 || 3.66 days ||
 * Ra225 || 225.0236 || 14.9 days ||
 * Ra226 || 226.0254 || 1600 years ||
 * Ra227 || 227.0292 || 42.2 minutes ||
 * Ra228 || 228.0311 || 5.75 years ||
 * Ra229 || 229.0348 || 4 minutes ||
 * Ra230 || 230.0371 || 93 minutes ||
 * Ra231 || 231.041 || 103 seconds ||
 * Ra232 || 232.044 || 250 seconds ||
 * Ra233 || 233.048 || 30 seconds ||
 * Ra234 || 234.051 || 30 seconds ||

**  **Sources:** http://www.chemicool.com/elements/radium.html http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Ra.html http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=220244 http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele088.html http://www.ccnr.org/decay_U238. html http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/P-T/Radium.html http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081107064424AAY3uf6 **Photos:** http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1911/marie-curie-bio.html http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0WTb_sCngBL5S0Af72JzbkF?p=+Pierre+Curie&fr=yfp-t-873&ei=utf-8&x=wrt&y=Search http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&sa=1&q=radium+configuration&aq=f&oq=&aqi=&start=0 http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&um=1&ei=UaAAS9jbFpGqlAffxpG2Cw&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=radium+clock&spell=1&start=0 http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0WTbx8UoQBLTMIA1HiJzbkF?p=radium&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-873&ei=utf-8&js=1&x=wrt http://www.ask.com/pictures?q=radium&search=&qsrc=0&o=10181&l=dir