Definition

A measure of radioactivity that indicates how much a radioactive substance decays, specifically equal to 3.7 × 10^10 disintegrations per second.

Example

The scientist measured the radioactivity of the sample in curies.

Conversation

Did you know that a curie is a unit used to measure radioactivity?

Yeah, I heard it's based on the decay rate of certain isotopes.

Exactly! It's fascinating how science quantifies things like that with a curie.

For sure! I find it amazing how much we can learn about radioactivity.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

The word 'curie' is derived from the name of the physicist Marie Curie, who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. It is used as a unit of measurement for radioactivity, named in her honor. The term does not have traditional Latin or Greek roots but is a proper noun that has been adopted into scientific terminology.

Memory Tip

Think of Marie Curie, the scientist who studied radioactivity, to remember that a 'curie' is a unit of measurement related to her groundbreaking work.

Visually Confused Words