Wilhelm Roentgen was a German physicist who lived between 1845-1923. He discovered x-rays, a type of radiation which can pass through material that ordinary light cannot. X-rays have many important uses in medicine, allowing us to view the inside of something, like a body, without having to open it. Today, we use x-rays to locate bone fractures, cancerous tumors, or tooth cavities.
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Wilhelm Roentgen was a German physicist who lived between 1845-1923. His accidental discovery of x-rays in 1895 changed the fields of physics and medicine. X-rays are a type of radiation which can penetrate materials that ordinary light cannot. They allow us to "view" the insides of objects (like a human body) without having to open them. Today, we use x-rays to locate bone fractures and breaks, cancerous tumors, and tooth cavities. For his brilliant experimental work, Roentgen received the first Nobel Prize, in 1901. |
Wilhelm Roentgen was a German physicist who lived between 1845-1923. His accidental discovery of x-rays in 1895 revolutionized the fields of physics and medicine, and won him the first Nobel Prize. X-rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation whose wavelength is smaller than visible light. They are very penetrating and pass through dense objects that absorb ordinary light. In one of his experiments, Roentgen passed x-rays through his wife's hand and was able to see her bone structre. Today, we use x-rays as diagnostic tools in medicine, to locate bone fractures and breaks, cancerous tumors, and tooth cavities. |
