Radium

Radium
Radium block | Image: Learnool

Radium (Ra) is a chemical element of the periodic table, located in the group 2 and the period 7, and has the atomic number 88. It is a soft, lustrous, silvery-white alkaline earth metal, whose name comes from the Latin word “radius”, which means ray. It is highly toxic and is counted as one of the radioactive elements. It is the heaviest alkaline earth metal.

On periodic table

group 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
period
1 1
H
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Hydrogen
2
He
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Helium
2 3
Li
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Lithium
4
Be
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Beryllium
5
B
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Boron
6
C
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Carbon
7
N
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Nitrogen
8
O
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Oxygen
9
F
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Fluorine
10
Ne
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Neon
3 11
Na
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Sodium
12
Mg
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Magnesium
13
Al
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Aluminium
14
Si
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Silicon
15
P
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Phosphorus
16
S
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Sulfur
17
Cl
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Chlorine
18
Ar
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Argon
4 19
K
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Potassium
20
Ca
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Calcium
21
Sc
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Scandium
22
Ti
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Titanium
23
V
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Vanadium
24
Cr
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Chromium
25
Mn
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Manganese
26
Fe
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Iron
27
Co
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Cobalt
28
Ni
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Nickel
29
Cu
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Copper
30
Zn
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Zinc
31
Ga
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Gallium
32
Ge
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Germanium
33
As
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Arsenic
34
Se
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Selenium
35
Br
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Bromine
36
Kr
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Krypton
5 37
Rb
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Rubidium
38
Sr
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Strontium
39
Y
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Yttrium
40
Zr
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Zirconium
41
Nb
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Niobium
42
Mo
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Molybdenum
43
Tc
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Technetium
44
Ru
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Ruthenium
45
Rh
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Rhodium
46
Pd
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Palladium
47
Ag
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Silver
48
Cd
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Cadmium
49
In
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Indium
50
Sn
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Tin
51
Sb
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Antimony
52
Te
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Tellurium
53
I
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Iodine
54
Xe
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Xenon
6 55
Cs
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Caesium
56
Ba
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Barium
72
Hf
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Hafnium
73
Ta
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Tantalum
74
W
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Tungsten
75
Re
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Rhenium
76
Os
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Osmium
77
Ir
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Iridium
78
Pt
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Platinum
79
Au
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Gold
80
Hg
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Mercury
81
Tl
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Thallium
82
Pb
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Lead
83
Bi
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Bismuth
84
Po
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Polonium
85
At
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Astatine
86
Rn
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Radon
7 87
Fr
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Francium
88
Ra
Radium
104
Rf
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Rutherfordium
105
Db
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Dubnium
106
Sg
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Seaborgium
107
Bh
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Bohrium
108
Hs
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Hassium
109
Mt
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Meitnerium
110
Ds
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Darmstadtium
111
Rg
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Roentgenium
112
Cn
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Copernicium
113
Nh
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Nihonium
114
Fl
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Flerovium
115
Mc
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Moscovium
116
Lv
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Livermorium
117
Ts
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Tennessine
118
Og
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Oganesson
57
La
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Lanthanum
58
Ce
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Cerium
59
Pr
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Praseodymium
60
Nd
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Neodymium
61
Pm
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Promethium
62
Sm
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Samarium
63
Eu
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Europium
64
Gd
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Gadolinium
65
Tb
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Terbium
66
Dy
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Dysprosium
67
Ho
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Holmium
68
Er
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Erbium
69
Tm
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Thulium
70
Yb
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Ytterbium
71
Lu
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Lutetium
89
Ac
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Actinium
90
Th
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Thorium
91
Pa
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Protactinium
92
U
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Uranium
93
Np
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Neptunium
94
Pu
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Plutonium
95
Am
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Americium
96
Cm
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Curium
97
Bk
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Berkelium
98
Cf
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Californium
99
Es
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Einsteinium
100
Fm
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Fermium
101
Md
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Mendelevium
102
No
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Nobelium
103
Lr
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Lawrencium
– s block

Radium is an s-block element, situated in the second column of the periodic table, next to francium (Fr). It has the atomic number 88 and is denoted by the symbol Ra.

Element information

Radium Element
Radium appearance | Image: Wikipedia
Radium Periodic Table
Radium location on periodic table | Image: Learnool
Radium is found in the second column of the periodic table, next to the francium element.
Origin of name Latin word “radius” (which means ray)
Symbol Ra
Atomic number (Z) 88
Atomic mass (226)
Block s-block
Group 1
Period 7
Classification Alkaline earth metal
Covalent radius 221±2 pm
Van der Waals radius 283 pm
Melting point 700 ℃, 1292 ℉, 973 K
Boiling point 1737 ℃, 3159 ℉, 2010 K
Electron configuration [Rn] 7s2
Learn how to write: Radium electron configuration
Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 2
Learn how to draw: Radium Bohr model
Crystal structure Body-centered cubic (bcc)
Phase at r.t Solid
Density near r.t 5.5 g/cm3
Natural occurrence From decay
Oxidation state +2
Electronegativity (Pauling scale) 0.9
Protons
Neutrons
Electrons
88
138
88
Valence electrons 2
Learn how to find: Radium valence electrons
CAS number 7440-14-4
Discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie in 1898

History

Pierre and Marie Curie | Image: Wikipedia

The discovery of radium is attributed to Marie and Pierre Curie, who isolated it from the mineral pitchblende in 1898. The Curies coined the term “radium” for this new element, which they found to be highly radioactive. Their discovery led to a new era in the study of radioactivity and the development of nuclear physics. In the early 20th century, radium was widely used in medicine for its supposed therapeutic effects. It was also used in various consumer products, including luminous watches and clock dials.

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. Despite the risks, radium continued to be used in some applications well into the 20th century. Today, radium is primarily used for research purposes, as it has no practical applications due to its high radioactivity and potential health hazards.

Occurrence and production

Radium is a rare and highly radioactive element that is not found in substantial amounts in the Earth’s crust. It is a decay product of uranium and is found in uranium ores. The most common radium mineral is called carnotite. Other minerals that contain radium include pitchblende, torbernite, and autunite.

The production of radium is a complex process that involves the separation and extraction of radium from its parent material, uranium. In the early days, radium was obtained by processing pitchblende, which contains small amounts of uranium. 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 modern times, radium is produced mainly by irradiating uranium in nuclear reactors. Uranium is bombarded with neutrons, which results in the formation of radium isotopes. 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.

The production of radium is strictly controlled due to its highly radioactive nature and the health hazards associated with it. The use of radium in industrial and medical applications is also regulated.

Properties

Radium is an alkaline earth metal that is highly reactive and combines with many other elements.

It has a silvery-white color and a metallic luster, but its surface quickly tarnishes in air due to its reactivity.

Radium has a density of 5.5 g/cm3 and a melting point of 700 ℃.

It is radioactive and emits alpha, beta, and gamma rays, making it highly dangerous if not handled properly.

Radium has two isotopes, radium-226 and radium-228, with radium-226 being the more common and more stable isotope with a half-life of 1600 years.

It has a high electronegativity and reacts with water to produce radium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.

Radium has similar chemical properties to calcium and barium, due to its position in the same group on the periodic table.

Applications

Medical

Radium was once used in the treatment of cancer and other diseases due to its ability to destroy abnormal cells. It was used in a variety of medical devices, such as brachytherapy sources, but its use has declined due to its radioactivity and health risks.

Industrial

Radium was used in luminous paints, clocks, and instruments, where its radioactive decay produced a luminous glow. It was also used in the manufacturing of self-luminous aircraft dials, nuclear physics experiments, and neutron sources.

Research

Radium continues to be used in research as a radioactive tracer in various scientific fields such as chemistry, geology, and environmental science.

Nuclear energy

Radium can be used as a neutron source for nuclear reactors, although its use in this application is limited due to its scarcity and high cost.

Art and culture

Radium was once used in art to create luminous paintings and in cinema projectors to produce brighter images.

Interesting facts

Radium was discovered by Marie Curie and her husband Pierre Curie in 1898.

Radium is radioactive and emits alpha, beta, and gamma rays, which can be harmful to humans and other living organisms.

Radium was once used in self-luminous paints for watches, clocks, and instrument dials, but this use has been discontinued due to safety concerns.

The element has been used in cancer treatments, as it can be targeted to kill cancer cells.

Marie Curie and her daughter Irène Joliot-Curie won Nobel Prizes for their work with radium and other radioactive elements.

Radium is one of the rarest elements on Earth, with only about 1 gram present for every 7 million tons of soil and rock.

Due to its rarity and radioactivity, radium has been used as a symbol of luxury and danger, appearing in cultural works such as songs, movies, and literature.

Related

More elements

s block
p block
d block
f block
Barium Aluminium Bohrium Actinium
Beryllium Antimony Cadmium Americium
Caesium Argon Chromium Berkelium
Calcium Arsenic Cobalt Californium
Francium Astatine Copernicium Cerium
Helium Bismuth Copper Curium
Hydrogen Boron Darmstadtium Dysprosium
Lithium Bromine Dubnium Einsteinium
Magnesium Carbon Gold Erbium
Potassium Chlorine Hafnium Europium
Radium Flerovium Hassium Fermium
Rubidium Fluorine Iridium Gadolinium
Sodium Gallium Iron Holmium
Strontium Germanium Lawrencium Lanthanum
Indium Lutetium Mendelevium
Iodine Manganese Neodymium
Krypton Meitnerium Neptunium
Lead Mercury Nobelium
Livermorium Molybdenum Plutonium
Moscovium Nickel Praseodymium
Neon Niobium Promethium
Nihonium Osmium Protactinium
Nitrogen Palladium Samarium
Oganesson Platinum Terbium
Oxygen Rhenium Thorium
Phosphorus Rhodium Thulium
Polonium Roentgenium Uranium
Radon Ruthenium Ytterbium
Selenium Rutherfordium
Silicon Scandium
Sulfur Seaborgium
Tellurium Silver
Tennessine Tantalum
Thallium Technetium
Tin Titanium
Xenon Tungsten
Vanadium
Yttrium
Zinc
Zirconium

External links

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Learnool.com was founded by Deep Rana, who is a mechanical engineer by profession and a blogger by passion. He has a good conceptual knowledge on different educational topics and he provides the same on this website. He loves to learn something new everyday and believes that the best utilization of free time is developing a new skill.

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