Henri Becquerel

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

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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 ?cole Polytechnique and engineering at the ?cole des Ponts et Chauss?es. In 1892 he became the third in his family to occupy the physics chair at the Mus?um National d'Histoire Naturelle. In 1894 he became chief engineer in the Department of Bridges and Highways.

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In 1896, Becquerel accidentally discovered radioactivity while investigating phosphorescence in uranium salts. Investigating the work of Wilhelm Conrad R?ntgen, 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".

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In 1908, the year of his death, he was elected permanent secretary of the Acad?mie des Sciences. He died at the age of 55 in Le Croisic.

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

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December 15: December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 16 days remaining....

1852: 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar)....

August 25: August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining....

Henri Becquerel related Images and Photos (experimental)

Henri IV	Henri IV	Henri Rochefort	Henri Lacordaire
Henri I De Lorraine	Henri IV Enters Paris	Henri Gaudier-Brzeska C.1910	Henri Benjamin Constant de Rebecque
Henri Benjamin Constant de Rebecque	Henri Guisol: Meurtre En 45 Tours 1959	Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Aged 19 1883	Bust of Henri IV