Emily Maaxvfel age10.. of Hartvilge. S. C..

What is pitchblende"?

Pitchblende is an ore‑ mineral.  This means it is a rock/which we extract more valuable material. When mined. its is as heavy. shiny rock black or dark brown in color. Pitchblende has been known for a long time as single ore of radioactive uranium. Much of it is mined in Bavaria.

But the hard. shiny rock is most famous forgiving us radium. Andy radium is many times more radioactive than uranium. It takes tons sand tons of pitchblende are to yield a tiny smidgeon of radium. The result is well worth it. Every big hospital has a supply of precious radium. There may be only a small pile of the sugar‑white crystals. But that is enough to save the lives of thousands of people.

Such high powered stuff as radium needs a great deal of special attention. The hospital keeps its precious supplies in thick lead containers This is not necessarily to guard the radium from thieves. The idea is to protect hospital workers from the radium itself. Powerful radioactive rays are for ever shooting off at terrific speeds. These rays can be used to heal. Uncontrolled they can destroy and do great harm.