WHYS.video

Who Discovered Radioactivity? The Story of Henri Becquerel

Learn how Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity in 1896 through uranium salts and photographic plates.

Published

Video transcript

Henri Becquerel is credited with the discovery of radioactivity in 1896. He found that uranium salts emitted rays that could fog photographic plates, leading to the identification of this natural phenomenon.

Questions and answers

  1. Who was the first person to discover radioactivity?

    Henri Becquerel is credited with the discovery of radioactivity in 1896 when he observed uranium salts emitting rays that fogged photographic plates.

  2. How did Henri Becquerel discover radioactivity?

    Becquerel discovered radioactivity accidentally while investigating uranium salts and their ability to emit rays that affected photographic plates.

  3. What role did uranium play in the discovery of radioactivity?

    Uranium salts emitted rays that fogged photographic plates, which led Henri Becquerel to identify the phenomenon of radioactivity.

Related questions

Continue exploring

For more intriguing stories on groundbreaking scientific discoveries, explore our videos on Marie Curie's pioneering work on radioactivity and the development of atomic theory.