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Wilhelm Röntgen and X-rays creation
When the German Wilhelm Conrad Röentgen (1845-1923) discovered the rays that crossed over objects leaving impressions in photographic plates, he wrongly thought that they did not have anything to do with light. Therefore they had been called as type "x" rays. It happened in the afternoon of November, 8th1895.
Rector of Wurzburg University in Germany, Wilhelm made experiments in the laboratory of his house when arrived from work. Although the scientific basis of his researches, it was a hazard that made possible x-rays discovery. As many physicists of the epoch, professor Röntgen researched cathode rays tube, created by the English William Crookes (1832-1919) some years before. It was a glass tube inside of which a warm metallic conductor emitted electrons, then called cathode rays, in direction to another conductor.
When Röntgen turned on the tube, in November 8th, something unusual happened: next to the tube, a plate of a fluorescent material, named of platinum barium cyanide, shone. He disconnected the tube and the brightness disappeared. Turned it on again, and there was the brightness once more. The luminosity persisted even when a book and an aluminum sheet were placed between the tube and the plate. Something left the tube, crossed over barriers and reached the platinum cyanide. For six weeks, the physicist lived in his laboratory trying to understand what kind of event was that and how to explain it. In December 22 of the same year, the German professor succeeded the radiation crossed the hand of his wife, Bertha, per 15 minutes, reaching a photographic plate on the other side. Disclosed the plate, it could be seen the shades of Bertha's bones in it and this is considered the first radiography of history. Fascinated, but confused, professor Röntgen decided to call the rays by "X" - symbol used in science to nominate the stranger. Thus, X-rays devices were born, revolutionizing the science.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
07 July 2009 -
Date of issue
Feb 2009
