Beta Particle - History

History

Henri Becquerel, while experimenting with fluorescence, accidentally found out that uranium exposed a photographic plate, wrapped with black paper, with some unknown radiation that could not be turned off like X-rays. Ernest Rutherford continued these experiments and discovered two different kinds of radiation:

  • alpha particles that did not show up on the Becquerel plates because they were easily absorbed by the black wrapping paper
  • beta particles which are 100 times more penetrating than alpha particles.

He published his results in 1899.

Read more about this topic:  Beta Particle

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