The Life and Achievements of Henri Becquerel Essay Example

black material. However, before the experiment could take place, Becquerel noticed that the photographic plates were already exposed and that the materials would glow in the dark after being exposed to light. This led Becquerel to investigate nuclear radiation and realize that it did not require an external source of energy like light, but rather seemed to arise spontaneously from uranium itself.

While conducting his experiments, Becquerel once again covered the photographic plates with black paper. However, this time he placed various phosphorescent salts on them. His findings showed that all salts had a negative effect except for uranium salts, which caused the plates to turn black. It was during this discovery that Becquerel realized the uranium salts emitted radiation even without exposure to ultraviolet rays from sunlight. Surprisingly, it was also observed that the blackening of the plate occurred in darkness and was unrelated to phosphorescence.
Initially, scientists believed this new radiation resembled X-rays as they were recently discovered. But upon further investigation conducted by Becquerel, Pierre Curie, Marie Curie, Ernest Rutherford, Paul Villard and other researchers; it was revealed that this form of radioactivity was much more intricate. They found out that different types of decay gave rise to different forms of radiation.

Rutherford was the first to discover that all decay processes occur using the same mathematical formula and that many of them resulted in transmutation, which is the conversion of one chemical element or isotope into another. Additionally, Rutherford found that there were numerous chemical elements, apart from uranium, that possessed radioactive isotopes. These findings led him to conclude that a substance emitting visible radiation also released something similar to X rays. Although radiation

was initially identified by Becquerel, it was later named by Marie Curie. In 1896, Becquerel published seven papers on radioactivity and only two in 1897. X rays gained popularity due to their ability to capture sharper shadow photographs and faster speed.

Thorium, another radioactive element, was discovered by Gerhard Carl Schmidt. Pierre and Marie Curie, along with their colleague Gustave Bemont, also made the discoveries of polonium and radium. These findings showcased the importance of radioactivity to both the world and Becquerel. At first, Pierre didn't believe that Marie's discovery would greatly affect her research, but he became so captivated that he abandoned his own work to join her. Unaware of the health risks associated with radiation exposure, the Curies worked with radioactive substances without any protection. They were unaware of how this would impact their health in their pursuit of scientific knowledge. In July 1898, they published a paper announcing the identification of an element named "polonium," which was dedicated to Marie's homeland - Poland.

In 1898, Marie Curie and her husband Pierre Curie made a significant discovery by finding a highly radioactive element, which they named "radium". This breakthrough not only made Marie the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1903 but also resulted in her sharing this prestigious award with Becquerel and Pierre. Sadly, tragedy struck in 1906 when Pierre was fatally injured by a horse-drawn carriage while crossing Rue Dauphine, resulting in his untimely demise due to a fractured skull.

Despite facing this devastating loss, Marie persevered in her scientific pursuits and continued to make remarkable contributions. Her achievements were recognized through the bestowment of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.

This honor was given to her for her discoveries and isolation of radium as well as her extensive research on this extraordinary element and its compounds.

Marie died on July 4, 1934 at the Sancellemoz Sanatorium in Haute-Savoie, France due to aplastic anemia caused by prolonged exposure to radiation. She conducted her research without protective clothing, unaware of the dangers of ionizing radiation at that time. Becquerel promptly presented his discovery to the Academie des Sciences to ensure its recognition and prevent Silvanus Thompson from being credited with the discovery of radioactivity and potentially stealing Becquerel's Nobel Prize. In addition to this groundbreaking finding, Becquerel made three other significant contributions to the field of science.

In 1899 and 1900, the deflection of beta particles and the radiation in electric and magnetic fields were measured by Becquerel. He then discovered that uranium X, the active substance in uranium, eventually stopped emitting radiation after a certain period of time. However, uranium, which was initially inactive, eventually regained its lost radioactivity. Furthermore, Becquerel reported a burn on his chest caused by carrying a sample of the Curies' radium, which led to an investigation by physicians on the physiological effects of radiation on the body in 1901.

Becquerel, a Nobel laureate in Physics for his discovery of radioactivity, received multiple accolades for his dedicated work. He was elected president of his own Academy of Sciences and became one of the permanent secretaries of the Academie des Sciences before passing away at 55 in Le Croisic in 1908. In commemoration, craters named Becquerel exist on both the Moon and Mars.

The Rumford Medal was awarded in 1900, followed by the Helmholtz Medal in 1901,

and the Barnard Medal in 1905.