Radioactive

Important Dates of Radioactivity

  • The Discovery of Radioactivity

    The Discovery of Radioactivity
    Antoine Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivty accidently. He left some of the uranium on top of a black photography plate. After leaving the uranium there, there was a white spot on the developed plate.
  • Discovery of Gamma Rays

    Discovery of Gamma Rays
    Gamma Rays were discovered by Paul Villard. He could see a difference between them and x-rays because gamma rays could penetrate further. It wasnt until 1914 that we knew the were a form of light.
  • Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics

    Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics
    Marie Curie wins the Nobel Prize while sharing it with Becquerel, and Pierre Currie. The won it for the discovery of natural radioactivity.
  • The Geiger Counter was Revealed

    The Geiger Counter was Revealed
    In 1908 Hans Geiger, with Ernest Rutherford, ivented the geiger counter. The first geiger counter only read alpha rays. A combination of a geiger counter and metal dector are comonly used in airport seccurity.
  • Discovery of the Neutron

    Discovery of the Neutron
    THe Neutron was discovered by James Chadwick. He discovered it by performing experiments at University of Cambridge. The word neutron comes from the latin root neutral!!!
  • The first Atomic Bomb was set off!

    The first Atomic Bomb was set off!
    It was set off in Alamogordo, New Mexico, I think as a test. It was set off by the U.S.A. The second atomic bomb was set off by the U.S.S.R.
  • U.S.S.R sets off the largest Nuclear Bomb.

    U.S.S.R sets off the largest Nuclear Bomb.
    This bomb was called the Tsar Bomba. It was a hydrogen with a yield!! It weighed 6000 pounds!
  • The Nuclear Weapon Treaty

    The Nuclear Weapon Treaty
    THe treaty didn't come into force until 1970, The treaty is reviewed every 5 years. The treaty was originally planned to last 25 years but its still in affect.
  • The 1969 Fire at Rocky Flats

    The 1969 Fire at Rocky Flats
    This was a Plutonium fire. THis fire came really close to burning Denver. Some forms of plutonium ignite spontaneously in air.
  • The Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Failed

    The Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Failed
    THe power plant failed after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. After the eathquake a tsunami hit with 10 meter waves. The power plant had three cooling systems each one failed.