To determine:
The term radioactivity, and discovery of radioactivity.
Answer to Problem 1E
Solution:
The process in which the unstable nuclei of an atom attains stability by loss of energy (in terms of mass) by emitting radiations, which can be beta particle, alpha particle, positron etc is said to be radioactivity.
Radioactivity was discovered by Henri Becquerel.
Explanation of Solution
The process in which the unstable nuclei of an atom attains stability by loss of energy (in terms of mass) by emitting radiations, which can be beta particle, alpha particle, positron etc is said to be radioactivity.
In 1896, Henri Becquerel used naturally fluorescent minerals in order to study the properties of X-rays. He believed that uranium will absorb the sun’s energy and then emitted it as x-rays so, he performed an experiment in which he exposed the potassium uranyl sulphate to sunlight and then placed it on photographic plates which were wrapped in black paper but this experiment “failed”. Becquerel decided to develop photographic plates, the results were surprising as the images were clear and strong, which proved that radiations are emitted from uranium without any external source of energy like sun. So, Becquerel discovered the property of a radioactivity.
Uranium crystals are the source of emmisons. In this way the phenomenon of radioactivity was discovered.
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