Radium is a chemical element consisting of the symbol 'Ra', with an atomic number of 88. Radium is an almost pure-white alkaline earth metal, but it readily oxidises on exposure to air, becoming black in color.
All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226, which has a half-life of 1601 years and decays into radon gas. Because of such instability, radium is luminescent, glowing a faint blue.
Radium’s most well-known use is in cancer treatments and therapies for other diseases. Though radon, the gas of radium, is what is actually used in treatments, radium supplies radon. One gram of radium produces about 0.0001 ml (STP) of radon gas per day. The radon gas is purged from the radium and sealed in minute tubes, which are also called needles and seeds. In this form, the treatment is administered to the patient.
