It is radioactive and emits alpha, beta, and gamma rays, making it highly dangerous if not handled properly. Radium has a density of 5.5 g/cm 3 and a melting point of 700 ℃. It has a silvery-white color and a metallic luster, but its surface quickly tarnishes in air due to its reactivity. Radium is an alkaline earth metal that is highly reactive and combines with many other elements. The use of radium in industrial and medical applications is also regulated. The production of radium is strictly controlled due to its highly radioactive nature and the health hazards associated with it. The isotopes are then separated from the other radioactive products produced in the reactor, and the radium is purified through a series of chemical processes. ![]() ![]() Uranium is bombarded with neutrons, which results in the formation of radium isotopes. In modern times, radium is produced mainly by irradiating uranium in nuclear reactors. The process involved the extraction of uranium oxide from the ore, followed by the separation of radium from the other elements present in the uranium oxide. In the early days, radium was obtained by processing pitchblende, which contains small amounts of uranium. The production of radium is a complex process that involves the separation and extraction of radium from its parent material, uranium. Other minerals that contain radium include pitchblende, torbernite, and autunite. The most common radium mineral is called carnotite. It is a decay product of uranium and is found in uranium ores. Radium is a rare and highly radioactive element that is not found in substantial amounts in the Earth’s crust. Today, radium is primarily used for research purposes, as it has no practical applications due to its high radioactivity and potential health hazards. Despite the risks, radium continued to be used in some applications well into the 20 th century. However, by the 1920s, the dangers of radium exposure became apparent, with numerous cases of radiation poisoning and cancer among workers in the radium industry. It was also used in various consumer products, including luminous watches and clock dials. In the early 20 th century, radium was widely used in medicine for its supposed therapeutic effects. ![]() Their discovery led to a new era in the study of radioactivity and the development of nuclear physics. The Curies coined the term “radium” for this new element, which they found to be highly radioactive. The discovery of radium is attributed to Marie and Pierre Curie, who isolated it from the mineral pitchblende in 1898. Pierre and Marie Curie | source: Wikipedia
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