Who was the first scientist to identify the element radium?

• A. Charles Richard Drew
• B. Marie Curie
• C. Jonas Salk
• D. Enrico Fermi

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. This question is about the historical discovery of the element radium, which is a topic in the history of chemistry rather than a problem-solving exercise.
2. Marie Curie was the first scientist to identify and isolate radium in 1898 through her pioneering work on radioactivity.
3. Charles Richard Drew was known for his work in blood transfusions, Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine, and Enrico Fermi contributed to nuclear physics, but none of them discovered radium.
4. Understanding the contributions of scientists helps contextualize the development of the periodic table and the discovery of elements.
5. Therefore, the correct answer to this question is Marie Curie, who identified radium through careful chemical separation and analysis.