Edmond Becquerel

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Edmond Becquerel (1820-1891) was a French physicist. He is best known for his work on the key principle to solar energy cells, the photovoltaic effect.

Early Life and Career

Edmond Becquerel was born in Paris on March 24, 1820, Alexandre. He was first a student, and then an assistant, to his father Antoine César. Edmond was particularly intrigued by light and embarked on in-depth studies of the subject. He examined the spectroscopic characteristics and the photochemical effects of the sun, and was especially interested in the phenomena of fluorescence and phosphorescence. He received his doctorate from the University of Paris, and eventually took a professorial position at the Agronomic Institute of Versailles.

Research on Photovoltaic Effect

When Edmund Becquerel was 19 years old (in 1839) he discovered the photovoltaic effect. He discovered this effect while experimenting with an electrolytic cell made up of two metal electrodes. Becquerel found that certain materials would produce small amounts of electric current when exposed to light. Because of this work, the photovoltic effect has also been known as the "Becquerel effect".

Other Studies

Edmund Becquerel is also known for his studies in the solar spectrum, magnetism, electricity and optics. In electricity he measured the properties of currents and investigated the conditions under which they arose. He showed that Joule’s law governing the production of heat in the passage of an electrical current applied to liquids as well as to solids. He also studied the separate effects of the liquid, the metal, the temperature, and the polarization of the electrodes on the functioning of voltaic piles.

Honors and Awards

Becquerel was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1886.

The Alexandre Edmond Becquerel Prize was established in 1989 by the European Commission at the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Becquerel’s classical experiment in which he discovered the photovoltaic effect. Its purpose is to honour scientific, technical or managerial merit in the development of photovoltaic solar energy. It is awarded annually at the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition.