Final answer:
German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-rays in 1895 by experimenting with cathode ray tubes, leading to a significant medical and scientific advancement. He was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his pioneering work.
Step-by-step explanation:
Discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen
In 1895, a significant breakthrough in physics and medical diagnostics was made by Wilhelm Roentgen, a German physicist. Roentgen noticed that during his experiments with cathode ray tubes (CRT), a type of electromagnetic radiation was being emitted, reacting with a barium platinocyanide screen to produce fluorescence. This mysterious and invisible radiation was capable of penetrating various substances, leaving behind images on photographic film. These penetrating rays would later become known as x-rays. The importance of this discovery is highlighted by the fact that, in 1901, Roentgen was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics.
Scientists, including Michael Faraday in the 1850s, had previously experimented with high-voltage electrical discharges in vacuum tubes which laid the groundwork for this discovery. However, it was Roentgen who made the first durable record of internal body parts using x-rays, creating an image of his wife's hand, which became a pivotal moment in medical science. The further experimentation and understanding of x-rays progressed quickly afterward, leading to the realization of their properties as high-energy EM waves and their wide usage in medicine and industry.