Discovery of Radioactivity and Radioactive Decay

PAC

The purpose of this project to engage high school students and get them interested in scientific methodology and discovery. It is our aim to demonstrate that science is a collaborative effort and stimulate interest by looking back to major discoveries in modern physics in the field of nuclear physics and the study of atomic structure. Moreover we aim to demonstrate how major discoveries were made possible through collaboration and informed experimental investigation. Among these examples, we show how the discovery of Radioactivity and Radioactive decay was a collective effort starting with Wilhelm Röentgen, Henri Becquerel, Marie Curie, and Ernest Rutherford and how each scientist expanded on the work of their predecessors. Moreover, the ideas of these scientists lead to the development of quantum theory and great advances in nuclear and particle physics.