Which scientist is associated with discovering polonium and radium in the material?

• A. Albert Einstein
• B. Marie Curie
• C. Louis Pasteur
• D. Charles Darwin

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is identifying who first isolated the elements polonium and radium from radioactive material. Marie Curie, working with her husband Pierre, showed that pitchblende ore contained more radioactivity than could be explained by uranium alone and dedicated years to its chemical separation. Their careful work led to the discovery of two new elements: polonium, named after Curie’s homeland, and radium, noted for its strong glow and long-lasting radiation. This built on Henri Becquerel’s earlier finding that some materials emit radiation, but Curie’s experiments were what confirmed and isolated the new elements. The other scientists listed made major advances in entirely different areas—Einstein in theoretical physics, Pasteur in germ theory and vaccines, Darwin in evolution—so they’re not associated with discovering these elements.