Wilhelm konrad rontgen, the discoverer of X-ray, was born in Nipp on 1845. Received a doctorate from the University of Zurich on 1869. In the next nineteen years, Roentgen worked in many different universities and gradually gained a reputation as an excellent scientist. 1888 was appointed professor and director of physics at the Institute of Physics of the University of Wü rzburg. Roentgen found X-rays at 1895.

1On September 8th, 895, Roentgen was doing a cathode ray experiment. Cathode rays consist of electron beams. When there is a high voltage between the electrodes at both ends of the almost completely vacuum closed glass tube, an electron flow will occur. Cathode rays have no particularly strong penetrating power, and even air with a thickness of several centimeters is difficult to pass through. This time, Roentgen completely covered the cathode ray with thick black paper, so that even if the current passed, the light emitted by the glass tube would not be seen. However, when Roentgen turned on the circuit of the cathode ray tube, he was surprised to find that a fluorescent screen (coated with fluorescent substance cyanoplatinum barium) on the nearby workbench began to glow, just like being stimulated by a lamp. He cut off the current of the cathode ray tube and the screen stopped emitting light. As the cathode ray tube was completely covered, Roentgen soon realized that when the current was switched on, there must be some invisible radiation emitted from the cathode. Because of the mysterious nature of this radiation, he called it "X-ray"-X is usually used to represent an unknown number in mathematics.

This unexpected discovery excited Roentgen. He put aside other research work and concentrated on the nature of X-rays. After weeks of intense work, he discovered the following facts. (1)X-rays can not only make barium cyanoplatinum fluoresce, but also make many other chemicals fluoresce. (2)X-rays can penetrate many substances that ordinary light cannot penetrate; In particular, it can pass directly through muscles but not through bones. Roentgen put his hand between the cathode ray tube and the screen, and his hand bone can be seen on the screen. (3)X-rays run in a straight line. Unlike charged particles, x-rays are not cancelled by magnetic fields.

1February, 995, Roentgen wrote his first X-ray paper, which immediately aroused great interest and excitement. In just a few months, hundreds of scientists are studying X-rays, and about 1000 related papers are published in one year! Anthony henry beck Rael is one of the scientists who studied under the direct inspiration of the invention of Roentgen. Although becquerel was deliberately studying X-rays, he accidentally discovered a more important radiation phenomenon.

Generally speaking, whenever an object is bombarded by high-energy electrons, it will produce X-rays. X-rays themselves are not composed of electrons, but of electromagnetic waves. So this kind of radiation is basically similar to visible light radiation (that is, light waves), but the wavelength is much shorter.