Nobel Prize Winner #1: Antoine Henri Becquerel
Antoine Henri Becquerel was a French atomic physicist who discovered and first experimented with radioactivity. He was born into a family of scientists, both his father and grandfather chose that particular profession. His father experimented with fluorescence, but while Becquerel was in college, he decided to go into his own field of science. In his early days of experimentation, he was fascinated with the x-ray. He questioned if the "penetrating rays" was associated with luminescence. He, than, began to experiment with potassium uranyl sulfate crystal and a photographic plate. In his experimental process, he exposed the sample to sunlight to engage luminescent emission. He then placed the crystal sample in a black room. The plate developed streaks, regardless of whether the sample was exposed to light or not. Becquerel knew that the possibility of a luminescent connection was not existent, and that he had discovered a new type of ray. Further experimentation occurred with pure uranium developing the plate, and the results showed uranium was four times more powerful. His detailed experimentation and understanding of the world around him should earn him a nobel prize in chemistry/physics for his discovery of the Becquerel Rays. Today, we know these "Becquerel Rays" as radiation, or radioactive rays. These rays are the result of unstable nuclei radiating waves. The radiation exists in subatomic particles (also known as beta and alpha rays). These unstable nuclei undergoes internal change spontaneously, which results in the powerful radiation. Becquerel was an incredibly smart man, who thought ahead of his time. He furthered our world by the discovery of radioactive waves and furthered the scientific community's knowledge of Earth.
Nobel Prize Winner #2: Max Planck
Max Planck was a German physicist, best known for his breakthrough discovery of the quantum theory. Planck was the youngest of four children and attended the University of Munich, in Germany. He was intrigued by the problems of the real world and then further was drawn into theoretical problems. He first began research in thermodynamics, but then turned to black body radiation. A black body is any object that absorbs all light when heated and gives it all off when cooling. It was a difficult problem at the time, one that solving would need an extraordinary mind. The scientific community was searching for an answer on how black boxes radiated heat. Max Planck began experimenting and finally created a formula for what was occurring. In 1900, he stated that radiating energy is "carried" in separate compartments. His formula stated E=υ (E=energy of the quantum, u=wavelength of radiation), which later was known as Quantum Theory. At the height of his career, he was the second most liked and influential man in science, behind only behind Albert Einstein. His discovery of quantum theory built the basis of discovering more and more about the unknowns of the world, including the discovery of electron location by Wolfgang Pauli, wave-particle theory performed by Clinton Davisson and Lester Germer, and the fundamentals of quantum mechanics done by Erwin Schrödinger. Quantum Theory revolutionized science as individuals knew it then, and know it today. Max Planck's work in physics and chemistry dramatically altered our knowledge and bettered the scientific community.
Bibliography (Works Cited)
1. "Antoine Henri Becquerel." World of Scientific Discovery. Gale, 2006. Science in Context. Web. 7 Oct. 2016.
2. "Max Planck." Scientists: Their Lives and Works. Detroit: UXL, 2006. Science in Context. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
3. "Nobel Prize." Nobelprize.org. Nobel Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2016
4. "Quantum theory." World of Physics. Gale, 2001. Science in Context. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
5. "Radioactivity." World of Physics. Gale, 2001. Science in Context. Web. 7 Oct. 2016.
Cite this page:
Rogers, Grace. "Nobel Prize Awards." Nobel Prize Winners. N.p., 15 Oct. 2016. Web. <nobelprizenominees.weebly.com>.
2. "Max Planck." Scientists: Their Lives and Works. Detroit: UXL, 2006. Science in Context. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
3. "Nobel Prize." Nobelprize.org. Nobel Foundation, n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2016
4. "Quantum theory." World of Physics. Gale, 2001. Science in Context. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.
5. "Radioactivity." World of Physics. Gale, 2001. Science in Context. Web. 7 Oct. 2016.
Cite this page:
Rogers, Grace. "Nobel Prize Awards." Nobel Prize Winners. N.p., 15 Oct. 2016. Web. <nobelprizenominees.weebly.com>.