Marie Curie's Accomplishments

Curie’s selfless desire to make progress in the field of science for the benefit of society along with the aid of her husband led her on the path to discovering radium; forever altering the field of science and medicine. Marie Curie devotedly worked towards improving the world’s knowledge of the science field accompanied by Pierre even as the temptation of profit emerged. On the hunt for someone with more experience than her, Curie sought help from a young-novice researcher named Pierre to provide her with methods for measuring magnetic properties of steel alloys. Pierre, who had become an expert in the field of electromagnetism, not only helped Marie, but also discovered a compatibility with her that eventually led to their prosperous marriage.

Pierre’s brilliant yet reserved mind with Marie’s extraordinary interest in her research fueled a partnership that produced monumentous scientific work. The production of this research had one underlying motivation; to stray away from personal gain and improve the world’s knowledge in the field of science. Although their research together had not begun just yet, the Curie’s had more preparation and enthusiasm than most would anticipate. Once their honeymoon ended and the duo returned, the time had come for their famous work to begin. A biographical source observed that “they were inseparable, working side by side in the laboratory during the day and studying together in the evening. Even the birth of their daughter Irène in 1897 barely interrupted their routine” (“Marie Curie” Scientists). The devotion of the Curies to their work seemed to never cease, even after Marie delivered a healthy baby

Though she was advancing well in her research on her own, her husband took notice to the importance of the research and decided to drop all his work to experiment alongside her. Not only did her expertise in the field aid in the research, but also made it possible for Marie to coin the term “radioactivity” for the mysterious “rays” in the first year of research. Her potential shown through more than ever and fueled the partnership further as the duo began spending all their available time in their lab. To make the most of their time, the Curie’s split the work between themselves. A source commented that “the couple worked together, with Marie performing the physically arduous job of chemically separating the pitchblende and Pierre analyzing the physical properties of the substances that Marie's separations produced.” Less than five years into their research, “the Curies announced that they had succeeded in preparing a decigram of pure radium chloride and had made an initial determination of radium's atomic weight. They had proven the chemical individuality of radium” (Marie Curie” Notable). The couple entrusted one another to complete their part of the workload on their own. Their speedy revelation of the elements came from their dedication to making a change. Though one may consider that