The Curies & Bémont: evidence for radium

What changed

Separated a strongly radioactive barium-associated fraction from pitchblende and proposed a new element, radium, using chemical and spectroscopic evidence.

Scientific scope

Separated a strongly radioactive barium-associated fraction from pitchblende and proposed a new element, radium, using chemical and spectroscopic evidence. Scope limitation: The announcement precedes isolation of pure radium and later atomic understanding. It is distinct from the same year’s polonium report; Gustave Bémont is retained as a coauthor.

Evidence

Assessment uses the catalogue-linked source evidence for the stated contribution. The announcement precedes isolation of pure radium and later atomic understanding. It is distinct from the same year’s polonium report; Gustave Bémont is retained as a coauthor.

Contributors

• Pierre Curie · SCIENCE: Named source contributor; exact labor shares are not measured.
• Marie Curie · SCIENCE: Named source contributor; exact labor shares are not measured.
• Gustave Bémont · SCIENCE: Named source contributor; exact labor shares are not measured.

• Curie, Curie and Bémont: On a New, Strongly Radio-active Substance Contained in Pitchblende (1898), AIP translation

Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-16.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.

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