PREVIOUSLY ASKED IN:
WBPSC Miscellaneous Preliminary 2023
Answer
Marie Curie
Explanation
Marie Curie was the first woman to ever win a Nobel Prize. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 for her research on radioactivity and later the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911 for discovering the elements radium and polonium. She remains the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields.
Key Points
- > Won 1903 Nobel in Physics (shared with Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel).
- > Won 1911 Nobel in Chemistry (unshared).
- > Discovered the radioactive elements Radium (Ra) and Polonium (Po).
- > First female professor at the University of Paris.
- > Dorothy Hodgkin solved the structure of penicillin and Vitamin B12.
- > Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction was crucial for DNA structure.
- > The unit of radioactivity 'Curie' (Ci) honors her.
Additional Information
Multiple Nobel Laureates
| Laureate | Categories | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Marie Curie | Physics & Chemistry | 1903, 1911 |
| Linus Pauling | Chemistry & Peace | 1954, 1962 |
| John Bardeen | Physics (Twice) | 1956, 1972 |
| Frederick Sanger | Chemistry (Twice) | 1958, 1980 |
Memory Tips
- Two Sciences: Marie Curie is the only one bridging the gap between Physics and Chemistry with a Nobel in both.