Educator Guide: Marie Antoinette’s Letters Are Uncensored by X-rays

Chemistry
image of a letter written by Marie Antoinette with a blacked out section next to an image of the same letter where the blacked out section is visible

A redacted passage (at left) in a letter written by Marie Antoinette, dated January 4, 1792 is unveiled (at right) with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.

@CRC

About this guide

In this guide, students will learn how scientists used chemistry to unravel a historical mystery and discuss the uses and limitations of spectroscopy.

This Guide Includes:

Solving a French Revolution mystery with chemistry

Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “Ink analysis reveals Marie Antoinette’s letters’ hidden words and who censored them,” which details how scientists used chemistry to unravel a mystery from the French Revolution. A version of the article, “Marie Antoinette’s letters are uncensored by X-rays,” appears in the November 6, 2021 issue of Science News.