1. Antoine Henri
Becquerel
Early Life
Antoine Henri Becquerel was method for extracting metals
born in Paris on December 15, from their ores. Becquerel
1852. He was a member of a was a third generation scien-
distinguished family of scholars tist. Written accounts of
and scientists. His father, that period of his life suggest
Alexander Edmond Becquerel, there was a close relationship
was a Professor of Applied between father and son in the
Physics and had done research passing on of the scientific
on solar radiation and on phos- tradition. Two previous gen-
phorescence, while his grandfa- erations of scientists gave
ther, Antoine César, had been a Henri Becquerel the drive to
Fellow of the Royal Society and further enlighten the world
Antoine Henri Becquerel
the inventor of an electrolytic through scientific research.
Educational Background
Becquerel entered the with his dissertation on the Metiers. Then in 1892 he was
Polytechnic in 1872, then absorption of light by crys- appointed Professor of Ap-
the government depart- tals. From 1878 he had held plied Physics in the Depart-
ment of Ponts-et- an appointment as an Assis- ment of Natural History at
Chaussées in 1874, becom- tant at the Museum of the Paris Museum. He then
ing an engineer in 1877 and Natural History, taking over later became a Professor at
being promoted to Chief from his father in the Chair the Polytechnic in 1895.
Engineer in 1894. In 1888 of Applied Physics at the
he acquired his doctorate Conservatoire des Arts et

2. Antoine Henri Becquerel
Contributions to Science
Following a discussion He had inherited from property of the ura-
with Henri Poincaré on his father a supply of nium atom. Becquerel
the radiation which uranium salts, which concluded "that the
had recently been dis- phosphoresce on expo- phosphorescent sub-
covered by Röntgen (X sure to light. When the stance in question
-rays) and which was salts were placed near emits radiation which
accompanied by a type to a photographic plate penetrates paper
of phosphorescence in covered with opaque opaque to light." Ini-
the vacuum tube, Bec- paper, the plate was tially he believed that
William Rontgen. querel decided to in- discovered to be the sun's energy was
Inset Photo: vestigate whether fogged. The phenome- being absorbed by the
there was any connec- non was found to be uranium which then
Radiograph of Frau
tion between X-rays common to all the ura- emitted X rays.
Rontgen’s Hand and naturally occurring nium salts studied and Further investigation,
phosphorescence. was concluded to be a on the 26th and 27th
of February, was de- such as the sun. Bec-
layed because the querel had discovered
“Decisiveness is often skies over Paris were radioactivity, the spon-
overcast and the ura- taneous emission of ra-
the art of timely
nium-covered plates diation by a material.
cruelty.”
Becquerel intended to Later, Becquerel demon-
- Henri Becquerel expose to the sun were strated that the radia-
returned to a drawer. tion emitted by uranium
On the first of March, shared certain charac-
he developed the pho- teristics with X rays
tographic plates ex- but, unlike X rays, could
pecting only faint im- be deflected by a mag-
ages to appear. To his netic field and there-
surprise, the images fore must consist of
were clear and strong. charged particles. For
This meant that the his discovery of radioac-
uranium emitted radia- tivity, Becquerel was
tion without an exter- awarded the 1903 Nobel
nal source of energy Prize for physics.
Stamp made in honor of
Becquerel’s Achievements
Page 2

3. Impact on Our Lives
The discovery of radioac- calculations. One Becquerel
tivity has help us a great (Bq) is one disintegration per
deal. We now know of ways second of a radioactive sub-
to protect ourselves from stance.
it. We have even found Marie also has a unit named
ways to use it in medicine. after her:
Radioactivity and radiation One Curie is the activity of a
are used in cancer treat- substance which undergoes
ment and for scans and x 3.7x1010 disintegrations per
rays. A unit has been second. Seamour Sheep Comic on
named after him, which
helps us when doing Radiation
Other Facts About Becquerel
Becquerel published his in 1889 and succeeded to Mlle. Janin, the
findings in many papers, Berthelot as Life Sec- daughter of a civil engi-
principally in the An- retary. He was also a neer. They had a son “Nothing in life is to be
nales de Physique et de member of the Accade- Jean, born 1878, who
feared. It is only to be
Chimie and the Comptes mia dei Lincei and of was also a physicist: the
understood.”
Rendus de l'Academie the Royal Academy of fourth generation of
des Sciences. Berlin, amongst others. scientists in the Bec- - Marie Curie
He was elected a mem- He was made an Officer querel family. Antoine
ber of the Academie of the Legion of Honour Henri Becquerel died at
des Sciences de France in 1900. He was married Le Croisic on August 25,
Interesting Facts
Marie Curie was actually it’s name. Marie and her
the student of Antoine husband Pierre went on to
Henri Becquerel. Al- discover the elements
though Becquerel discov- known as radium and polo-
ered the phenomenon of nium. They also shared to
radioactivity, it was Nobel Peace Prize with Marie and
Marie Curie who gave it Becquerel in 1903.
Pierre Curie
Page 3

4. References
Excellence, Access. (2009, December 4). Radioactivity: historical figures.
Retrieved from http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/
historical_background.php
From Nobel Lectures, Physics 1901-1921, Elsevier Publishing Company, Am-
sterdam, 1967
Heaven, S. (Artist). (2008). Seamour sheep. [Web]. Retrieved from http://
www.seamoursheecom/comics/english/seamour-sheep-61.jpgp.
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