Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Bec·que·rel ray Pronunciation:
(")bek-"rel-, "bek-&- Function:
noun : a ray emitted by a radioactive substance —usedbefore radioactive emissions were classified as alpha and beta particles and gamma-ray photons
Becqueárel /bek-rel/ Antoine–Henri (1852–1908) Frenchphysicist. The father of modern atomic and nuclear physics, Becquerel is most notable for his discovery of radioactivity. In 1896 he demonstrated that uranium salts are radioactive and emit rays. For atime the rays were called Becquerel rays. His observations led Pierre and Marie Curie to their discovery of radium. Becquerel also undertook research into light polarization, magnetism, and the passageof light through crystals. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903.
