Radium Facts for Kids

The Periodic Table - Radium
  • Name: Radium
  • Symbol: Ra
  • Atomic Number: 88
  • Atomic Weight: 226 u
  • Period: 7
  • Group: 2 (beryllium group)

22 Radium Facts for Kids

  1. Radium is a chemical element on the periodic table.
  2. Radium is a radioactive metal that has a silvery white metallic color when in its pure form.
  3. Radium was first discovered on Wednesday, December 21st, 1898 by Polish physicist and chemist Marie Curie and her husband French physicist Pierre Curie.
  4. Radium was first isolated in 1910 by Polish physicist and chemist Marie Curie and French chemist André-Louis Debierne.
  5. The symbol for radium is Ra.
  6. The atomic number for radium is 88.
  7. The standard atomic weight of radium is 226 u.
  8. Radium is a solid at room temperature.
  9. Radium is in the alkaline earth metal element category on the periodic table.
  10. Radium is a period 7 chemical element, which is the seventh row on the periodic table.
  11. Radium is a group 2 chemical element, which is the beryllium group.
  12. Radium is the heaviest chemical element in group 2 (alkaline earth metals) of the periodic table.
  13. Radium is the only radioactive element in group 2 (alkaline earth metals) of the periodic table.
  14. Radium is in the s-block on the periodic table.
  15. The electron configuration for radium is [Rn] 7s2.
  16. The electrons per shell for radium is 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 2.
  17. Radium has no stable isotopes.
  18. The main isotopes of radium are 223Ra, 224Ra, 225Ra, 226Ra and228Ra.
  19. The melting point for radium is 1292 °F (700 °C).
  20. The boiling point for radium is 3159 °F (1737 °C).
  21. Radium can be obtained from uranium or thorium ore.
  22. Radium has no practical commercial applications outside of nuclear medicine.

Additional Resources on Radium

  • Radium (Ra) – Discover more about the chemical element radium on the Los Alamos National Laboratory website.
  • Radium for Kids – Find more information about the chemical element radium for kids on the Britannica Kids website.
  • Radium and Your Health – Learn about the benefits and/or risks of radium to your health on the CDC website.
  • Radium – PubChem – Read more about radium and the data behind it on the NIH PubChem website.

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