Radium | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Duration: 3'11''

Synopsis

Radium was discovered in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie.

Further Information

More clips from Chemistry: A Volatile History

03: The Power of the Elements | Chemistry: A Volatile History

03: The Power of the Elements | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 59'04''

Jim Al-Khalili reveals the breakthroughs which harnessed elements' ability to release vast power, showing how s...

Alpha particles | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Alpha particles | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 3'55''

Rutherford stated the fact that most alpha particles go straight through foil is evidence for the atom being mostly empty spa...

Carbon bonds | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Carbon bonds | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 3'17''

Scott Cooper was fascinated by how carbon atoms combined with other atoms, inventing the notion of ''bonds''.

Iron compound and synthetic pigment | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Iron compound and synthetic pigment | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 4'34''

A demonstration of how Diesbach stumbled across the ingredients for the first synthetic paint.

Isomers | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Isomers | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 4'46''

Jim Al-Khalili reveals the history of isomerism which was first noticed in 1827, when Friedrich Woehler prepared cyanic acid.

Nylon | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Nylon | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 2'07''

Jim Al-Khalili reveals the breakthroughs which harnessed elements' ability to release vast power, showing how scientists are trying to ...

Plutonium | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Plutonium | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 2'25''

Invented in 1940, scientists quickly realised plutonium was capable of undergoing nuclear fission.

More resources about Radioactivity and nuclear decay

03: Off the Scale | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

03: Off the Scale | Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds

BBC HD | 2010 | 59'21''

Richard Hammond explores the miniature universe around us, from microscopic changes to ice crystals that can trigger a...

Radioactive particle clean up mission | Bang Goes the Theory

Radioactive particle clean up mission | Bang Goes the Theory

BBC One | 2011 | 3'24''

Following a leak of thousands of radioactive particles in the 60's, a team at Dounreay are attempting to find an...

Radioactivity | Curriculum Bites

Radioactivity | Curriculum Bites

CBBC | 2003 | 6'33''

Schools science programme where topics in the double science curriculum are broken down into small chunks.

Types of nuclear radiation | Short Circuit

Types of nuclear radiation | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2008 | 1'26''

An explanation of alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

An Alpha, Beta and Gamma of Radioactivity | Short Circuit

An Alpha, Beta and Gamma of Radioactivity | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 1998 | 24'14''

Bringing chemistry, physics and biology to life using real-life examples, 3D graphics and practical experiments.

Chemical weapons | Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

Chemical weapons | Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

BBC Four | 2016 | 1'53''

Introducing the idea of chemical and biological weapons, leading onto pathogens.

Half-life | Short Circuit

Half-life | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2009 | 58''

Spec references J249: P6.1j, P6.2b J250: P4.3j. Explanation and animation - Nuclear decay is random. Half-life.

Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

Inside Porton Down: Britain's Secret Weapons Research Facility

BBC Four | 2016 | 59'00''

Michael Mosley investigates Porton Down, Britain's most secretive and controversial military research base. He...

Lab demonstration of alpha beta gamma penetration properties. | Short Circuit

Lab demonstration of alpha beta gamma penetration properties. | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2009 | 56''

Spec references J249: P6.1l J250: P4.3l. Laboratory demonstration of the penetration propertie...

Radioactivity | Short Circuit

Radioactivity | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2009 | 18'43''

Bringing chemistry, physics and biology to life using real-life examples, 3D graphics and practical experiments.

The properties of different types of radiation | Short Circuit

The properties of different types of radiation | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2008 | 1'35''

An explanation of how a radiation detector picks up different types of radiation.

Using radioactive tracers for bone scans (1) | Short Circuit

Using radioactive tracers for bone scans (1) | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2009 | 2'25''

Spec references J249: P6.2c, P5.2i. Preparation and administration of a tracer for a bone scan of a rower.

Using radioactive tracers for bone scans (2) | Short Circuit

Using radioactive tracers for bone scans (2) | Short Circuit

BBC Two | 2009 | 3'35''

Spec references J249: P6.2c, P5.2i. Preparation and administration of a tracer for a bone scan of a rower.

More from Jim Al-Khalili

Nylon | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Nylon | Chemistry: A Volatile History

BBC Four | 2010 | 2'07''

Jim Al-Khalili reveals the breakthroughs which harnessed elements' ability to release vast power, showing how scientists are trying to ...

Einstein and the beetle | Gravity and Me: The Force that Shapes our Lives

Einstein and the beetle | Gravity and Me: The Force that Shapes our Lives

BBC Four | 2017 | 1'20''

Professor Jim Al-Khalili explains Einstein's analogy of gravity that he told his son to explain his...

Prof Jim Al Khalili goes inside Calder Hall for his first look inside the core of a nuclear reactor | Britain's Nuclear Secrets: Inside Sellafield

Prof Jim Al Khalili goes inside Calder Hall for his first look inside the core of a nuclear reactor | Britain's Nuclear Secrets: Inside Sellafield

BBC Four | 2015 | 3'20''

Nuclear physicist Professo...

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore on teenage brains | The Life Scientific

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore on teenage brains | The Life Scientific

BBC Radio 4 | 2015 | 26'54''

Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore talks to Jim Al-Khalili about her research on the developing teenage brain.

The race to prove Maxwell's theory | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

The race to prove Maxwell's theory | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

BBC Four | 2011 | 5'11''

Jim Al-Khalili explains how physics professor Oliver Lodge proved Maxwell's theory that electrom...

Fukushima: Is Nuclear Power Safe? | Horizon

Fukushima: Is Nuclear Power Safe? | Horizon

BBC Two | 2011 | 57'29''

Six months after the explosions at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, Professor Jim Al-Khalili sets out to discover whether nu...

Arabic, the language of God | Science and Islam

Arabic, the language of God | Science and Islam

BBC Four | 2009 | 5'36''

Jim Al-Khalili looks at how Islamic caliphs encouraged scientific research and made Arabic the official language of their vas...

Introduction to Electronic Structure and Chemical Properties | Atom

Introduction to Electronic Structure and Chemical Properties | Atom

BBC Four | 2007 | 1'21''

Spec references J248: C2.2h J250: C2.2h. Professor Jim Al-Khalili explains how chemical properties are de...

Electrolysis - Discovery of Potassium | Curriculum Bites

Electrolysis - Discovery of Potassium | Curriculum Bites

CBBC | 2003 | 3'06''

Spec references J248: C3.4b J250: C3.4b. Professor Jim Al-Khalili recreates the electrolysis experiment that lead to...