I roto i te 1896, i kitea e Henri Becquerel e te tote uranium tukua hihi e rite ki hihi X i roto i to ratou kaha penetrating. whakaatu ia e tenei radiation, rite kore phosphorescence, kihai i whakawhirinaki i runga i te pūtake o waho o te pūngao, engari i te mea ki te puta ake spontaneously i te uranium ano. whakaawe e enei e rua kitea nui Curie, faaoti ki te titiro i roto i hihi uranium rite te āpure e taea o te rangahau mo te tuhinga. whakamahia e ia he tikanga auaha ki te tūhura tauira. tekau ma rima tau i mua, i whakawhanakehia e tana tahu, me tona teina, he putanga o te electrometer, he tairongo mō te ine hiko. mā te whakamahi i electrometer o tona tahu, kitea e ia e meinga nga hihi uranium kitea te whakahaere i te tauira hau ki te kawe i te utu hiko. i roto i tenei tikanga, i te whakamahi i te pūtaiao pūtaiao, i te tuatahi i whakaurua i roto i te kura, engari kihai i whakaurua i runga i te tikanga o te pūtaiao.
i whakawhirinaki anake i runga i te rahinga o te uranium aroaro