1. Pioneers of Nuclear Research
Discovering atomic particles

2. W.K. Roentgen
Found that some materials glowed in the presence of an energy form that could pass through cardboard.
Called the energy “X-rays”

3. Fluorescing Minerals
Some minerals produce light when hit by radiant energy (fluorescence)
Fluorescence stops when the radiant energy is stopped

4. Henri Becquerel Do fluorescent minerals produce x-rays?
Found that minerals can produce x-rays in the absence of radiant energy.
Credited with the discovery of radiation

5. Marie Curie Worked with an ore of uranium (pitchblende)
Found the amount of radiation emitted from the ore was higher than expected from the amount of uranium

6. Marie Curie Extracted two previously unknown elements
Radium
Polonium
1st person to receive two Nobel Prizes ever.

7. Rutherford’s 1899 Experiment
Passed nuclear radiation through a magnetic field
Demonstrated two types of radiation
Alpha particles
Beta particles

8. Old Plum Pudding Model of Atoms
All the parts of an atom are stuck tightly together.
Protons, neutrons and electrons are packed together.

9. Rutherford’s Gold Foil Experiment
Shot radiation at a thin gold sheet.
Expected the radiation to scatter widely as it squeezed between atoms

10. Rutherford’s Gold Foil Experiment
Found that 2% of the radiation was deflected as expected.
Instead, 98% passed straight through and a tiny amount shot back at the source
Showed the nucleus is a small, positive area surrounded by mostly empty space.