88

Ra

Radium
[ 226 ]
 Historical Information

Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie in pitchblende (or uraninite) from North Bohemia. The element was isolated in 1911 by Mme. Curie and Debierne by the electrolysis of a solution of pure radium chloride, employing a mercury cathode. On distillation in an atmosphere of hydrogen this amalgam yielded the pure metal.

Basic Information Shells
  • Name:Radium
  • Symbol: Ra
  • Atomic number: 88
  • Atomic weight:[ 226 ]
  • Standard state: a solid at 298 K
  • Group in periodic table: 2
  • Group name:Alkaline earth metal
  • Period in periodic table: 7
  • Block in periodic table: s-block
  • Classification: Metallic
 Radium
Uses Trivia
  • self-luminous paints
  • neutron sources
  • medical uses for the treatment of conditions such as cancer

Radium is over a million times more radioactive than the same mass of uranium.