Question

Why did Becquerel expose uranium crystals to sunlight in his initial experiment?

Answer 1

The correct answer is that he wanted to show that the crystals emit X-rays.

Step-by-step explanation:

At the time of the investigation of the newly discovered X-rays, Henri Becquerel studied salts of uranium that got influenced by light. He found that the salt of uranium continuously discharged penetrating radiation that is shown on a photographic plate. Afterward, Becquerel showed that the radiation discharged by the uranium salts exhibited some features of X-rays.

Thus, in his initial experiment, Becquerel exposed uranium crystals to sunlight in order to demonstrate that the crystals discharged X-rays that would illustrate the patterns witnessed on the photographic plates encountered with uranium salts.

Answer 2

Below are the choices that can be found elsewhere:

He wanted to show that warmed crystals radiate heat.
He wanted to show that the crystals emit X-rays.
He wanted to show that the crystals emit light after absorbing light.
He wanted to show that the crystals would become radioactive when they were exposed to sunlight.

The answer is "He wanted to show that the crystals emit X-rays."