Radium: Properties, Applications and Sample Questions

Ans. Radium is a chemical element and is denoted with “Ra”. It has an atomic number of 88 and an atomic mass of 226 g. mol ⁻¹. It is the sixth element in group II of the periodic table, also called alkaline earth metals.

Ans. The naturally occurring and most commonly found isotopes of radium are radium 226 and radium 228 mostly found in groundwater. All the isotopes of radium elements are stable and the most stable isotope among them is radium - 226.

Ans. The distinguished chemical properties of radium are: 

• The atomic number of radium is 88
• The group of radium is 2
• The relative atomic mass of radium is 226
• Radium state at 20°C is solid
• The melting point of radium is 696 °C, 1285 °F, 969 K

Ans. Radioactive substances are unstable and they release energy in a process called radioactive decay. The energy can be in the form of a wave such as gamma rays, or a particle such as alpha or beta particles, or both.

Ans. Usually, Radioactivity is measured in the units called "curies." The levels of radioactivity in water are very low and are measured in pico-curies. One picocurie is equal to one-trillionth of a curie per litre, which is written as pCi/L.

Ans. The following are the few uses of radium, some of the uses of radium are due to its radioactive properties.

• It is used for self-luminous paints in aircraft switches, clocks, watches, instrument dials and nuclear panels.
• It is used as an additive in a product such as toothpaste, hair cream, and even food items.
• Radium and beryllium were used as portable sources of neutrons.

Ans. The nucleus of the radium consists of 88 protons and 138 neutrons. All the 88 electrons successively occupy the available electron shells.

Ans. The physical properties of radium are:

• Radium is the only radioactive member in its group.
• It is the heaviest alkaline earth metal known.
• Radium’s physical and chemical properties reassemble the lighter congener barium.
• It is a highly reactive metal and consistently exhibits a group oxidation state.
• Radium forms a colourless cation Ra²⁺ in the aqueous solution which is highly basic and does not form any complexes.

Ans. Ra is the chemical formula for Radium.

Ans. Radium is a silvery-whitish, lustrous and soft, intensely radioactive element. Radium readily oxidizes on exposure to air, turning from white to black.

Ans. Radium is a chemical element and is denoted with “Ra”. It is the sixth element in group II of the periodic table. Radium is a silvery-whitish, lustrous and soft, intensely radioactive element, and readily combines with nitrogen. Radium is the heaviest alkaline earth metal known. It is extracted the radium compound from the uraninite which is found in the uranium ores at one part per three million parts of uranium.

Radium is more than a million times more radioactive than the same mass as that uranium.

On exposure to air, it forms a surface of Radium Nitride which is black in colour. All the isotopes of radium are stable. The naturally occurring and most commonly found isotopes of radium are radium 226 and radium 228 mostly found in groundwater.

Ans. The medicinal effects of radium are:

• Radium is a highly radioactive and carcinogenic element.
• Radium is inhaled, ingested, or exposed when it is used in the treatment of cancer and several other body disorders.
• Radium is used in medicine to produce radon gas.

Ans. The Boiling point of Radium is 1500 °C, 2732 °F or 1773 K and the Melting point of Radium is 696 °C, 1285 °F or 969 K.

Ans. Radium (Ra) has a total of 33 isotopes, out of which four are found in nature, with 226 Ra being the most common. Ra, 224 Ra, 226 Ra, and 228 Ra are naturally generated with the decay of Uranium (U) or Thorium (Th).