Antoine César Becquerel

Physicist, Award Winner

1788 – 1878

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Who was Antoine César Becquerel?

Antoine César Becquerel was a French scientist and a pioneer in the study of electric and luminescent phenomena.

He was born at Châtillon-sur-Loing. After passing through the École polytechnique he became engineer-officer in 1808, and saw active service with the imperial troops in Spain from 1810 to 1812, and again in France in 1814. He then resigned from the army and devoted the rest of his life to scientific investigation.

In 1820, following the work of René Just Haüy, he found that pressure can induce electricity in every material, attributing the effect to surface interactions. In 1825 he invented a differential galvanometer for the accurate measurement of electrical resistance. In 1829 he invented a constant-current electrochemical cell, the forerunner of the Daniell cell. In 1839, working with his son A. E. Becquerel, he discovered the photoelectric effect on an electrode immersed in a conductive liquid.

His earliest work was mineralogical in character, but he soon turned his attention to the study of electricity and especially of electrochemistry.

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Born
Mar 7, 1788
Châtillon-Coligny
Also known as
  • Antoine Cesar Becquerel
Children
Nationality
  • France
Profession
Education
  • École Polytechnique
Died
Jan 18, 1878
Paris

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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