Some activity is to be expected in these minerals, since they all contain either thorium or uranium or a mixture of both. An examination of the action of the uranium compounds with the same apparatus and under the same conditions led to the following results:
| Uranium (containing a little carbon) | 2·3 × 10 -11 amperes |
|---|---|
| Black oxide of uranium | 2·6 „ |
| Green „ „ | 1·8 „ |
| Acid uranic hydrate | 0·6 „ |
| Uranate of sodium | 1·2 „ |
| Uranate of potassium | 1·2 „ |
| Uranate of ammonia | 1·3 „ |
| Uranous sulphate | 0·7 „ |
| Sulphate of uranium and potassium | 0·7 „ |
| Acetate | 0·7 „ |
| Phosphate of copper and uranium | 0·9 „ |
| Oxysulphide of uranium | 1·2 „ |
The interesting point in connection with these results is that some specimens of pitchblende have four times the activity of the metal uranium; chalcolite, the crystallized phosphate of copper and uranium, is twice as active as uranium; and autunite, a phosphate of calcium and uranium, is as active as uranium. From the previous considerations, none of the substances should have shown as much activity as uranium or thorium. In order to be sure that the large activity was not due to the particular chemical combination, Mme Curie prepared chalcolite artificially, starting with pure products. This artificial chalcolite had the activity to be expected from its composition, viz. about 0·4 of the activity of the uranium. The natural mineral chalcolite is thus five times as active as the artificial mineral.
It thus seemed probable that the large activity of some of these minerals, compared with uranium and thorium, was due to the presence of small quantities of some very active substance, which was different from the known bodies thorium and uranium.
This supposition was completely verified by the work of M. and Mme Curie, who were able to separate from pitchblende by purely chemical methods two active bodies, one of which in the pure state is over a million times more active than the metal uranium.
This important discovery was due entirely to the property of radio-activity possessed by the new bodies. The only guide in their separation was the activity of the products obtained. In this respect the discovery of these bodies is quite analogous to the discovery of rare elements by the methods of spectrum analysis. The method employed in the separation consisted in examining the relative activity of the products after chemical treatment. In this way it was seen whether the radio-activity was confined to one or another of the products, or divided between both, and in what ratio such division occurred.
The activity of the specimens thus served as a basis of rough qualitative and quantitative analysis, analogous in some respects to the indication of the spectroscope. To obtain comparative data it was necessary to test all the products in the dry state. The chief difficulty lay in the fact that pitchblende is a very complex mineral, and contains in varying quantities nearly all the known metals.