Marie Curie: Pioneer of Radioactivity and the Unit of Measurement

Following the discovery of radiation in 1896, Polish scientist Marie Curie and her husband Pierre devoted themselves to this field. Ground-breaking research lead the pair to identify new radioactive elements including polonium, named for her country of birth, and radium. In 1910, the International Radium Standards Committee designated the Curie as the recognized unit of measurement for radiation. Although the Becquerel superseded the Curie as the international standard unit of radiation in 1975, both units are current today. Commonly, scientists use the millicurie (mCi) or the megabecquerel (MBq) to measure modest levels of radiation.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator
• Pen and paper

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Instructions

• 1

  Note the value in mCi that you want to convert to MBq. Enter this value into the calculator.

• 2

  Check you have entered the value correctly. Multiply the value in mCi by 37, the number of megabecquerels in 1 millicurie.

• 3

  Write down your answer. The result is the value in mCi converted to MBq. Check the result for errors. Repeat the calculation if necessary.