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Antoine Henri Becquerel (December 15, 1852 – August 25, 1908) was a French physicist, Nobel laureate, and one of the discoverers of radioactivity.
Early days
Becquerel was born in Paris into a scientific family which, including him and his son, produced four generations of scientists. He studied science at the École Polytechnique and engineering at the École des Ponts et Chaussées.
Rise in natural sciences, discoveries and major works
In 1892 he became the third in his family to occupy the physics chair at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle. In 1894 he became chief engineer in the Department of Bridges and Highways.
In 1896, Becquerel accidentally discovered radioactivity while investigating phosphorescence in uranium salts. Investigating the work of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, Becquerel wrapped a fluorescent mineral, potassium uranyl sulfate, in photographic plates and black material in preparation for an experiment requiring bright sunlight. However, prior to actually performing the experiment, Becquerel found that the photographic plates were fully exposed. This discovery led Becquerel to investigate the spontaneous emission of nuclear radiation. In 1903 he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Pierre and Marie Curie "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by his discovery of spontaneous radioactivity".
Final days and legacy
In 1908, the year of his death, he was elected permanent secretary of the Académie des Sciences. He died at the age of 55 in Le Croisic.
The SI unit for radioactivity, the becquerel (Bq) is named after him, and also there are Becquerel craters on the Moon and Mars.
See also
- A. E. Becquerel (his father)
- Antoine César Becquerel (his grandfather)
- Jean Becquerel (his son)
External links
- Henri Becquerel - Biography
- About Henri Becquerel
- Becquerel short biography and the use of his name as an unit of measure in the SI
- Henri Becquerel
- Annotated bibliography for Henri Becquerel from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues
1852 births | 1908 deaths | Alumni of the École Polytechnique | French physicists | Nobel Prize in Physics winners | Radioactivity | Roman Catholic scientists
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"Henri Becquerel"