Henri Becquerel
Noun
Meaning
French physicist who discovered that rays emitted by uranium salts affect photographic plates (1852-1908)
Source: WordNetSynonyms
Examples
In the 19th century, experimenters began to detect unexpected forms of radiation: Wilhelm Röntgen caused a sensation with his discovery of X-rays in 1895; in 1896 Henri Becquerel discovered that certain kinds of matter emit radiation on their own accord.
Henri Becquerel himself proved that beta rays are fast electrons, while Rutherford and Thomas Royds proved in 1909 that alpha particles are ionized helium.
In 1896, Henri Becquerel discovered that uranium salts emitted rays that resembled X-rays in their penetrating power.
In 1896, Henri Becquerel found that rays emanating from certain minerals penetrated black paper and caused fogging of an unexposed photographic plate.
Robert Millikan While studying naturally fluorescing minerals in 1896, the French physicist Henri Becquerel discovered that they emitted radiation without any exposure to an external energy source.