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Question
Why was the gift of a ton pitchblende, a great stroke of luck, to the Curies?
Solution
- The Curies were passionate about their research on pitchblende.
- Pitchblende was very expensive and despite sacrificing a lot of things to buy small amounts of it, their efforts didn’t prove to be enough.
- Hence, when they were gifted a ton of pitchblende by the emperor of Austria, they restarted their work with renewed energy.
- After working indomitably for more than 4 years, the Curies were finally able to obtain Polonium and Radium from Pitchblende.
Therefore, it can be said that the gift of a ton of pitchblende was a great stroke of luck to the Curies.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Have you ever participated in or visited a science exhibition?
Did you observe/learn any new things there? What are those?
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Discuss in pairs/groups about the precautions one has to take while working in a science laboratory. Write them in the form of Dos and Don’ts.
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Complete the web diagram with the qualities of Madame Curie.
Two conquerers of the peak of Mt. Everest
Original name of Madame Curie
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Subjects Marie majored in, at the University of Paris
Nationality of her husband Pierre
Scientist who discovered the properties of uranium
Read the text carefully and match the incidents occurred in Madam Curie’s life given in table A with the years in table B.
| Table A | Table B |
| 1. Henri Becquerel discovered that uranium had the property where radioactive elements can give off rays which can penetrate substances that are opaque to light. | 1902 |
| 2. Maria Sklodowska was born in Warsaw, Poland. | 1934 |
| 3. Marie was awarded the Nobel Prize | 1896 |
| 4. Curie couple discovered radium. | 1867 |
| 5. Marie passed away. | 1911 |
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Which of the two scientists was greater than the other? Say why?
Besides the uses of radium and polonium mentioned in the text, in what other way, do you think, it is used in the field of medicine?
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Read and understand the following word. Find out/search for proverb/thought/quote/slogan that is related to them.
Strength of character
Read and understand the following word. Find out/search for proverb/thought/ quote/slogan that is related to them.
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Read and understand the following word. Find out/search for proverb/thought/quote/slogan that is related to them.
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Match the branches of Science with what fields they study :
| (A) | (B) |
| (a) Ecology | (i) Study of Atmosphere |
| (b) Geology | (ii) Study of Plant-life |
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| (d) Anatomy | (iv) Study of living organisms and environment |
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| (f) Psychology | (vi) Study of structure and functions of the body |
| (g) Cosmology | (vii) Study of solid earth and rocks |
The life and work and inventions of Marie Curie are given in detail in the text. Go to your library or search on internet at least five famous scientists who have given great inventions to the world and write about them or prepare a chart showing the information about them.
