André-Louis Debierne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
André-Louis Debierne
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 14 July 1874 Paris, France
|
| Died | 31 August 1949 (aged 75) Paris, France
|
| Known for | discovery of actinium |
| Scientific career | |
| Doctoral advisor | Pierre Curie |
| Other academic advisors | Charles Friedel |
André-Louis Debierne (born July 14, 1874 – died August 31, 1949) was a French chemist. A chemist is a scientist who studies what things are made of. Debierne is often known for discovering the element actinium. However, some people think another chemist, Friedrich Oskar Giesel, also deserves credit.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
André-Louis Debierne was born in Paris, France. He went to a special science school. This school was called the École supérieure de physique et de chimie industrielles de la ville de Paris (ESPCI ParisTech). He was a student of Charles Friedel.
Debierne became good friends with the famous scientists Pierre Curie and Marie Curie. He worked closely with them on their important research.
Discovering Actinium
In 1899, Debierne made a big discovery. He found a new radioactive element. He named this element actinium.
He found actinium while continuing work on a mineral called pitchblende. The Curies had started this work. Pitchblende is a rock that contains uranium.
Working with the Curies
After Pierre Curie sadly passed away in 1906, Debierne continued to help Marie Curie. They worked together on teaching and research. They were a strong team.
Preparing Radium
In 1910, Debierne and Marie Curie did something amazing. They managed to prepare radium in its pure metal form. They made enough to actually see it.
They did not keep the radium as a metal. They showed that it could exist in this form. Then, they changed it back into compounds. This allowed them to continue their scientific studies.
See also
In Spanish: André-Louis Debierne para niños
