A Brief Account of Radio-activity

This short work walks listeners through the birth of radio‑activity, beginning with the accidental experiments that followed Röntgen’s X‑rays and the curious observations of uranium salts by Becquerel. It explains how early researchers distinguished these mysterious emissions from ordinary X‑rays, and how the discovery quickly expanded to include thorium, potassium and rubidium, revealing a new, intrinsic property of certain atoms. The narrative stays clear of heavy mathematics, focusing instead on the experimental moments that convinced scientists a new force was at work within matter.

Designed for chemistry students and busy scholars in other fields, the book presents the foundational facts and deductions in a conversational style that feels like a guided lecture. By linking the early discoveries to the emerging concept of an atomic property, it offers a solid grounding that prepares listeners for the deeper theories that later reshaped physics and chemistry.