Becquerel, Antoine Henri
Published: September 2, 2008, 7:32 pm
Updated: September 2, 2008, 7:32 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Tom Lawrence
Antoine Henri Becquerel (1852-1908), French physicist noted for discovering the phenomenon of natural radioactivity. Following Röntgen’s discovery of the X-ray in 1895, Becquerel began to investigate whether there was any relationship between X-rays and naturally-occurring phosphorescence. In 1896, Becquerel exposed uranium salts to sunlight and placed them on photographic plates wrapped in black paper. When developed, the plates revealed an image of the uranium crystals. These results meant that the uranium had emitted radiation without an external source of energy, such as the sun. Later, Becquerel showed that the rays emitted by uranium caused gases to ionize and that they differed from X-rays in that they could be deflected by electric or magnetic fields. For his discovery of spontaneous radioactivity, Becquerel was awarded half of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903, the other half being given to Pierre and Marie Curie for their study of Becquerel radiation. The becquerel (symbol Bq') is the SI derived unit of radioactivity in the International System of Units (SI), and equal to one disintegration or nuclear transformation per second.
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Becquerel, Antoine Henri". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth September 2, 2008; Last revised Date September 2, 2008; Retrieved May 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Becquerel,_Antoine_Henri>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Antoine Henri Becquerel (1852-1908), French physicist noted for discovering the phenomenon of natural radioactivity. Following Röntgen’s discovery of the X-ray in 1895, Becquerel began to investigate whether there was any relationship between X-rays and naturally-occurring phosphorescence. In 1896, Becquerel exposed uranium salts to sunlight and placed them on photographic plates wrapped in black paper. When developed, the plates revealed an image of the uranium crystals. These results meant that the uranium had emitted radiation without an external source of energy, such as the sun. Later, Becquerel showed that the rays emitted by uranium caused gases to ionize and that they differed from X-rays in that they could be deflected by electric or magnetic fields. For his discovery of spontaneous radioactivity, Becquerel was awarded half of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903, the other half being given to Pierre and Marie Curie for their study of Becquerel radiation. The becquerel (symbol Bq') is the SI derived unit of radioactivity in the International System of Units (SI), and equal to one disintegration or nuclear transformation per second.
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