Edmond Becquerel
A 19th-century French experimenter who first captured electricity directly from light, laying the essential groundwork for the solar panels of today.
1820–1891 (age 71)·French physicist·Birthday: March 24
Biography
Edmond Becquerel worked in the shadow—and the laboratory—of his famous father, Antoine César, but he stepped into his own brilliant light. At just 19, conducting experiments in the family's Parisian lab, he made a discovery that would take a century to find its full purpose. He placed an electrode in a conductive solution, exposed it to sunlight, and measured an electric current. He had discovered the photovoltaic effect, the direct conversion of light into electrical energy. While he couldn't yet build a practical device, his 'photovoltaic cell' was the first of its kind. Becquerel's curiosity was boundless; he also pioneered the study of phosphorescence, inventing the phosphoroscope to measure the afterglow of materials. His work created a bridge between the classical physics of his father and the revolutionary atomic science of his son, Henri, who discovered radioactivity. In essence, Edmond Becquerel captured the first spark of solar power.
#1 When Edmond Was Born
The biggest hits of 1820
Edmond's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1820Born
1825Started school
1833Became a teenager
1836Could drive
1838Could vote
1841Turned 21
1850Turned 30
1860Turned 40
1870Turned 50
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1880Turned 60
Edison patents the incandescent light bulb
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1890Turned 70
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1891Died at 71
President: Benjamin Harrison
Key Achievements
- Discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839 at the age of 19.
- Constructed the world's first photovoltaic cell, using platinum electrodes in an acidic solution.
- Invented the phosphoroscope, a device for measuring the duration of phosphorescence.
- Made significant contributions to the understanding of the solar spectrum and magnetism.
Did You Know?
He was part of a three-generation dynasty of notable physicists: son of Antoine César Becquerel and father of Nobel laureate Henri Becquerel.
His initial photovoltaic cells had an efficiency of less than 1%.
He served as a professor at the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers in Paris.
The scientific unit for the theoretical maximum efficiency of a solar cell is named the "Shockley–Queisser limit," but Becquerel's work is its true origin point.
“Light can produce an electric current from certain materials.”
