Marie Criee: The Life And Life Of Marie Curie

Marie Curie was born on November 7, 1867 in the Russian part of Poland. She was the youngest child of five, and the daughter of five well known teachers. She left Poland in 1891 for France, and studied physics, mathematics, and chemistry at the University of Paris. In 1993, she earned her degree in physics and started working in an industrial lab, though she was still studying at University of Paris, and eventually earned a second degree in 1894. Curie fist investigated the magnetic properties of various steels. It was then that she met Pierre Curie, who was an instructor at the School of Physics and Chemistry. Their mutual love of science brought them together.

In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-rays, and in 1996, Henri Becquerel discovered that uranium salts emitted rays that resembled x-rays. Curie decided to pursue uranium rays as a possible research field for a thesis. Using Pierre’s electrometer, she discovered that the air around uranium samples conducted electricity. Her first result was the finding that the activity of the uranium compounds only depended on the amount of...