Encyclopedia, Difference between revisions of "Henri Becquerel" - New World

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{{For|the SI unit of radioactivity|Becquerel}}
 
{{For|the SI unit of radioactivity|Becquerel}}
 
{{Infobox_Scientist
 
{{Infobox_Scientist
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| image_width = 300px
 
| image_width = 300px
 
| caption = Antoine Becquerel, French [[physicist]]
 
| caption = Antoine Becquerel, French [[physicist]]
| birth_date = [[December 15]], [[1852]]
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| birth_date = December 15, 1852
 
| birth_place = [[Paris]], [[France]]
 
| birth_place = [[Paris]], [[France]]
| death_date = [[August 25]], [[1908]]
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| death_date = August 25, 1908
 
| death_place = [[Le Croisic]], [[Brittany]], [[France]]
 
| death_place = [[Le Croisic]], [[Brittany]], [[France]]
 
| residence = [[image:Flag_of_France_(bordered).svg|20px]] [[France]]  
 
| residence = [[image:Flag_of_France_(bordered).svg|20px]] [[France]]  
 
| nationality = [[image:Flag_of_France_(bordered).svg|20px]] [[France|French]]  
 
| nationality = [[image:Flag_of_France_(bordered).svg|20px]] [[France|French]]  
 
| field = [[Physicist]]
 
| field = [[Physicist]]
| work_institution = [[Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers]]</br>[[École Polytechnique]]</br>[[Paris Museum]]
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| work_institution = [[Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers]]<br/>[[École Polytechnique]]<br/>[[Paris Museum]]
| alma_mater = [[École Polytechnique]]</br>[[École des Ponts et Chaussées]]
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| alma_mater = [[École Polytechnique]]<br/>[[École des Ponts et Chaussées]]
 
| known_for  = [[Radioactivity]]
 
| known_for  = [[Radioactivity]]
 
| prizes =  [[Image:Nobel.svg|20px]] [[Nobel Prize for Physics]] (1903)  
 
| prizes =  [[Image:Nobel.svg|20px]] [[Nobel Prize for Physics]] (1903)  
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[[Antoine César Becquerel]].
 
[[Antoine César Becquerel]].
 
}}
 
}}
[[Image:Becquerel plate.jpg|thumb|right|Image of Becquerel's photographic plate which has been fogged by exposure to radiation from uranium salts. The shadow of a metal [[Maltese Cross (symbol)|Maltese Cross]] placed between the plate and the uranium salts is clearly visible.]]
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[[Image:Becquerel plate.jpg|thumb|right|Image of Becquerel's photographic plate that was fogged by exposure to radiation from uranium salts. The shadow of a metal [[Maltese Cross (symbol)|Maltese Cross]] placed between the plate and the uranium salts is clearly visible.]]
'''Antoine Henri Becquerel''' ([[December 15]], [[1852]] &ndash; [[August 25]], [[1908]]) was a [[France|French]] [[physicist]], [[Nobel laureate]], and one of the discoverers of [[radioactivity]].
 
  
==Early days==
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'''Antoine Henri Becquerel''' (December 15, 1852 &ndash; August 25, 1908) was a [[France|French]] [[physicist]], [[Nobel laureate]], and one of the discoverers of [[radioactivity]].
Becquerel was born in [[Paris]] into a family which, including him and his son, produced four generations of scientists. He studied science at the ''[[École Polytechnique]]'' and engineering at the ''[[École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées|École des Ponts et Chaussées]]''.
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==Early days and family==
 +
 
 +
Becquerel was born in [[Paris]] into a family that, including him and his son, produced four generations of scientists. He studied science at the ''[[École Polytechnique]]'' and engineering at the ''[[École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées|École des Ponts et Chaussées]]''.
 
* Spouse: Louise Désirée Lorieux (m. 1890)
 
* Spouse: Louise Désirée Lorieux (m. 1890)
 
* Children: [[Jean Becquerel|Jean]]
 
* Children: [[Jean Becquerel|Jean]]
  
 
==Rise in natural sciences, discoveries and major works==
 
==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.
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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, while investigating [[phosphorescence]] in [[uranium]] salts, Becquerel discovered [[radioactivity]] accidentally.  Investigating the work of [[Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen]], Becquerel wrapped a fluorescent mineral, [[potassium uranyl sulfate]], in [[photographic plate]]s 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 1896, while investigating [[phosphorescence]] in [[uranium]] salts, Becquerel discovered [[radioactivity]] accidentally.  Investigating the work of [[Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen]], Becquerel wrapped a fluorescent mineral, [[potassium uranyl sulfate]], in [[photographic plate]]s 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]].
  
Describing his method to the [[French Academy of Sciences]] on [[January 24]], [[1896]], he said,
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Describing his method to the [[French Academy of Sciences]] on January 24, 1896, he said,
<blockquote>One wraps a Lumière photographic plate with a bromide emulsion in two sheets of very thick black paper, such that the plate does not become clouded upon being exposed to the sun for a day. One places on the sheet of paper, on the outside, a slab of the phosphorescent substance, and one exposes the whole to the sun for several hours. When one then develops the photographic plate, one recognizes that the silhouette of the phosphorescent substance appears in black on the negative. If one places between the phosphorescent substance and the paper a piece of money or a metal screen pierced with a cut-out design, one sees the image of these objects appear on the negative. … One must conclude from these experiments that the phosphorescent substance in question emits rays which pass through the opaque paper and reduces silver salts.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Henri Becquerel|title =Sur les radiations émises par phosphorescence|journal=Comptes Rendus |volume = 122| pages = 420-421|year=1896|url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k30780/f422.chemindefer}}</ref><ref>''Comptes Rendus'' 122, 420 (1896), [http://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/becquerel.html translated by Carmen Giunta]. Accessed [[September 10]], [[2006]].</ref></blockquote>
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<blockquote>One wraps a Lumière photographic plate with a bromide emulsion in two sheets of very thick black paper, such that the plate does not become clouded upon being exposed to the sun for a day. One places on the sheet of paper, on the outside, a slab of the phosphorescent substance, and one exposes the whole to the sun for several hours. When one then develops the photographic plate, one recognizes that the silhouette of the phosphorescent substance appears in black on the negative. If one places between the phosphorescent substance and the paper a piece of money or a metal screen pierced with a cut-out design, one sees the image of these objects appear on the negative. … One must conclude from these experiments that the phosphorescent substance in question emits rays which pass through the opaque paper and reduces silver salts.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Henri Becquerel|title =Sur les radiations émises par phosphorescence|journal=Comptes Rendus |volume = 122| pages = 420-421|year=1896|url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k30780/f422.chemindefer}}</ref><ref>''Comptes Rendus'' 122, 420 (1896), [http://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/becquerel.html translated by Carmen Giunta]. Accessed September 10, 2006.</ref></blockquote>
  
In 1903 he shared the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] with [[Pierre Curie|Pierre]] and [[Marie Curie]] "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by his discovery of spontaneous radioactivity".
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In 1903 he shared the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] with [[Pierre Curie|Pierre]] and [[Marie Curie]] "in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by his discovery of spontaneous radioactivity."
  
==Final days and legacy==
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In 1908, Becquerel was elected permanent secretary of the [[Académie des Sciences]]. He died the same year, at the age of 55, in [[Le Croisic]].
  
In 1908, the year of his death, Becquerel was elected permanent secretary of the [[Académie des Sciences]]. He died at the age of 55 in [[Le Croisic]].
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== Honors ==
  
 
The [[SI]] unit for radioactivity, the [[becquerel]] (Bq), is named after him, and there are [[Becquerel (crater)|Becquerel craters]] on the [[Moon]] and [[Mars]].
 
The [[SI]] unit for radioactivity, the [[becquerel]] (Bq), is named after him, and there are [[Becquerel (crater)|Becquerel craters]] on the [[Moon]] and [[Mars]].
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==See also==
 
==See also==
  
* [[A. E. Becquerel]] (his father)
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* [[Marie Curie]]
* [[Antoine César Becquerel]] (his grandfather)
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* [[Radioactive decay]]
* [[Jean Becquerel]] (his son)
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* [[Uranium]]
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* [[X-ray]]
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== Notes ==
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<references />
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
<references />
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<<We need at least 3 reliable references here, properly formatted.>>
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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* [http://www1.bipm.org/en/si/history-si/radioactivity/becquerel.html Becquerel short biography] and the use of his name as an unit of measure in the [[SI]]
 
* [http://www1.bipm.org/en/si/history-si/radioactivity/becquerel.html Becquerel short biography] and the use of his name as an unit of measure in the [[SI]]
 
* [http://alsos.wlu.edu/qsearch.aspx?browse=people/Becquerel,+Henri Annotated bibliography for Henri Becquerel from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues]
 
* [http://alsos.wlu.edu/qsearch.aspx?browse=people/Becquerel,+Henri Annotated bibliography for Henri Becquerel from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues]
 
  
 
{{Nobel Prize in Physics Laureates 1901-1925}}
 
{{Nobel Prize in Physics Laureates 1901-1925}}
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|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
 
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
 
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=[[France|French]] [[physicist]]
 
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=[[France|French]] [[physicist]]
|DATE OF BIRTH=[[December 15]], [[1852]]
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|DATE OF BIRTH=December 15, 1852
 
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Paris]], [[France]]
 
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Paris]], [[France]]
|DATE OF DEATH=[[August 25]], [[1908]]
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|DATE OF DEATH=August 25, 1908
 
|PLACE OF DEATH=[[Le Croisic]], [[Brittany]], [[France]]
 
|PLACE OF DEATH=[[Le Croisic]], [[Brittany]], [[France]]
 
}}
 
}}
  
[[Category:1852 births|Becquerel, Antoine Henri]]
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[[Category:Physical sciences]]
[[Category:1908 deaths|Becquerel, Antoine Henri]]
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[[Category:Biographies of Scientists and Inventors]]
[[Category:Alumni of the École Polytechnique|Becquerel, Antoine Henri]]
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[[Category:Biography]]
[[Category:French physicists|Becquerel, Antoine Henri]]
 
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Physics|Becquerel, Antoine Henri]]
 
[[Category:Radioactivity|Becquerel, Antoine Henri]]
 
[[Category:French Nobel Prize winners|Becquerel, Antoine Henri]]
 
[[Category:Nuclear physicists|Becquerel, Antoine Henri]]
 
  
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Revision as of 14:14, 4 April 2007

<<This article needs to be fleshed out.>>


Antoine Henri Becquerel

Henri Becquerel.jpg
Antoine Becquerel, French physicist
Born

December 15, 1852
Paris, France

Died August 25, 1908

Le Croisic, Brittany, France

Residence Flag of France (bordered).svg France
Nationality Flag of France (bordered).svg French
Field Physicist
Institutions Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers
École Polytechnique
Paris Museum
Alma mater École Polytechnique
École des Ponts et Chaussées
Known for Radioactivity
Notable prizes Nobel.svg Nobel Prize for Physics (1903)
Note that he is the father of Jean Becquerel, the son of A. E. Becquerel, and the grandson of

Antoine César Becquerel.

Image of Becquerel's photographic plate that was fogged by exposure to radiation from uranium salts. The shadow of a metal Maltese Cross placed between the plate and the uranium salts is clearly visible.

Antoine Henri Becquerel (December 15, 1852 – August 25, 1908) was a French physicist, Nobel laureate, and one of the discoverers of radioactivity.

Early days and family

Becquerel was born in Paris into a family that, 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.

  • Spouse: Louise Désirée Lorieux (m. 1890)
  • Children: Jean

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, while investigating phosphorescence in uranium salts, Becquerel discovered radioactivity accidentally. 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.

Describing his method to the French Academy of Sciences on January 24, 1896, he said,

One wraps a Lumière photographic plate with a bromide emulsion in two sheets of very thick black paper, such that the plate does not become clouded upon being exposed to the sun for a day. One places on the sheet of paper, on the outside, a slab of the phosphorescent substance, and one exposes the whole to the sun for several hours. When one then develops the photographic plate, one recognizes that the silhouette of the phosphorescent substance appears in black on the negative. If one places between the phosphorescent substance and the paper a piece of money or a metal screen pierced with a cut-out design, one sees the image of these objects appear on the negative. … One must conclude from these experiments that the phosphorescent substance in question emits rays which pass through the opaque paper and reduces silver salts.[1][2]

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."

In 1908, Becquerel was elected permanent secretary of the Académie des Sciences. He died the same year, at the age of 55, in Le Croisic.

Honors

The SI unit for radioactivity, the becquerel (Bq), is named after him, and there are Becquerel craters on the Moon and Mars.

  • Rumford Medal (1900)
  • Helmholtz Medal (1901)
  • Nobel Prize for Physics (1903)
  • Barnard Medal (1905)

See also

Notes

  1. Henri Becquerel (1896). Sur les radiations émises par phosphorescence. Comptes Rendus 122: 420-421.
  2. Comptes Rendus 122, 420 (1896), translated by Carmen Giunta. Accessed September 10, 2006.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

<<We need at least 3 reliable references here, properly formatted.>>

External links

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