Antoine César Becquerel

Antoine César Becquerel ( born March 8, 1788 in Châtillon -sur -Loing today Châtillon- Coligny, † January 18, 1878 in Paris) was a French physicist.

Life

Antoine César Becquerel (now in the Loiret Châtillon- Coligny ) was born on 8 March 1788 in Châtillon -sur- Loing. He attended the Polytechnic School in Paris, and was educated at the Lycée Henri IV, inter alia, under Augustin- Louis Cauchy. In 1808 he came to the army, and was until 1815 worked as an engineer officer. Among other things, he served under General Suchet in Spain. He left the Army as a battalion commander. From 1837 he taught at the Muséum national d' histoire naturelle in Paris. In 1839 he became President of the Académie des sciences. He died on January 18, 1878 in Paris.

Work

He dealt with the electrochemistry and magnetism, but he pursued (contrary Voltas contact theory ) the idea that the electricity production in the galvanic elements by chemical processes is established. Becquerel investigated the electrolytic conductivity and electrical power generation. In 1819 he discovered piezoelectricity. Even before Michael Faraday in 1827, he recognized the diamagnetic repulsion of bismuth and antimony. In 1829 he constructed the first constant DC element - a precursor of the Daniell element.

The measurement accuracy of the electrical resistance he improved by constructing a Differentialgalvanometers (1826 ), in which the magnetic needle of two wires of the same thickness, each of which has an equal number of turns, is surrounded. This apparatus was in 1854 rise to the invention of the differential double talk from Siemens and Carl Ludwig refining. His studies on thermal electricity led him to the invention of the electric thermometer.

His sons Alfred and Louis Alexandre Edmond, his grandson (Antoine ) Henri and his great-grandson Jean were also eminent physician; Antoine Henri discovered, inter alia, the radioactivity and received in 1903 the Nobel Prize.

He is one of 72 scientists who have been immortalized on the Eiffel Tower.

Writings

• Traité de l' Electricité et du expérimental magnétisme, et de leurs rapports avec les phénomènes naturels, 7 volumes and atlas, Paris, Didot, 1834-1840
• Eléments d' Electrochimie appliquée aux sciences naturelles et aux arts, Paris, Didot, 1843; in German, 3rd Ed, Erfurt, 1857
• Traité de physique dans ses rapports avec la considérée chimie et les sciences naturelles, 2 volumes, Paris, Didot, 1842-1844.
• Traité des engrais inorganiques en général, et du sel marin en particulière, Paris, Didot, 1848
• Des climats et de l' influence qu'exercent les sols et non boisés boisés, Paris, Didot, 1853
• Causes of the d' altération of métaux, Paris, Didot, 1864
• Des forces physico- chimiques et de leur intervention dans la production of phénomènes naturels, Paris, Didot, 1875

Together with his son Alexandre Edmond Becquerel, he published:

• Eléments de physique et de terrestre météorologie, Paris, Didot, 1847
• Résumé de l' histoire de l' Electricité et du magnétisme, et des applications de ces sciences à la chimie, aux sciences naturelles et aux arts, Paris, Didot, 1858
• Traité d' Electricité et de leurs applications aux magnétisme et de sciences physiques, aux arts, à l'industrie, Vol 1: Electricité, principes généraux, 3 vols, Paris, Didot, 1855-1856