Actinium—a sample rare because of its uselessness
Actinium is a rare, silvery-white, radioactive metal that belongs to the actinide series of elements in the periodic table. It was discovered in 1899 by the French chemist André-Louis Debierne and named after the Greek word “aktis,” which means beam or ray, due to its highly radioactive nature. One of the most outstanding properties of …
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137Cs—the most widely used industrial radioactive source
Element 137Cs, also known as Cesium-137, is a radioactive isotope that has captured the attention of scientists and industries alike due to its outstanding properties. It is a member of the alkali metal group and is produced through nuclear fission of uranium and plutonium in nuclear reactors. One of the most notable properties of Cs-137 …
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Radium—in honor of the great Marie Curie
Radium is a fascinating and unique element that has captured the imagination of scientists and the public alike since its discovery in the late 19th century. It is a highly radioactive metal that is renowned for its luminescent and glowing properties, making it one of the most visually striking elements in the periodic table. Radium …
Radon—a major source of background radiation
Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, and tasteless noble gas that has fascinated scientists and researchers for decades. It is a naturally occurring element that is found in soil, rocks, and groundwater, and is produced by the decay of uranium and thorium. Radon is the heaviest gas among the noble gases, and it is highly …
Americium—the radioactivity in our daily life
Americium is a synthetic element that belongs to the actinide series and is named after the continent of North America. It was first synthesized in 1944 by Glenn T. Seaborg, Ralph A. James, and Albert Ghiorso by bombarding plutonium with neutrons in a nuclear reactor. Americium is a silvery-white metal that is radioactive, and its …
Thallium—the notorious toxin
Thallium, with the atomic number 81, is a soft, silvery-white metal that is located in group 13 of the periodic table. It was first discovered in 1861 by a British chemist Sir William Crookes and is named after the Greek word “thallos,” which means “a green shoot or twig.” Thallium is one of the rarest …
14C—a well-know and useful radioisotope
Carbon is a fundamental building block of life on Earth, forming the basis of all organic matter. One isotope of carbon, carbon-14 (14C), is particularly fascinating because of its radioactive properties. This isotope is continuously produced in the Earth’s atmosphere by cosmic ray interactions, and its decay rate can be used to determine the age …
Polonium—a well known radioactive toxin
