Jean Baptiste Perrin (b.1870-d.1942) was born in Lille, France on September 30, 1870, where he attended École Normal Supérieure. He became an assistant at the school during the period of 1894-97 when he began the study of cathode and X-rays. He was awarded the degree of docteur ès sciences in 1897 for a thesis written on cathode and Röntgen rays. He was appointed that same year to a readership in physical chemistry at Sorbonne University of Paris. He became a professor at the University in 1910, holding this post until Germany invaded it in 1940 during World War II.

In 1895, he showed that cathode rays were made of corpuscles with negative electric charge. He computed Avogadro's number through several methods. He explained solar energy by the thermonuclear reactions of hydrogen. 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Alternative meanings: There is also an Electric-type Pok mon named Electrode. ... Avogadros number, also called Avogadros Constant (NA) is a large constant used in chemistry and physics. ... The Sun is the star at the center of our Solar system. ... At the end of the 20th century, Thermonuclear has came to imply anything which has to do with fusion nuclear reactions which are triggered by particles of thermal energy. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ...

After Albert Einstein published (1905) his theoretical explanation of Brownian motion in terms of atoms, Perrin did the experimental work to test Einstein's predictions, thereby settling the century-long dispute about John Dalton's atomic theory. Albert Einstein photographed by Oren J. Turner in 1947. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... An example of 1000 simulated steps of Brownian motion in two dimensions. ... Properties An atom (Greek άτομον from ά: non and τομον: divisible) is a submicroscopic structure found in all ordinary matter. ... John Dalton John Dalton (September 6, 1766 – July 27, 1844) was a British chemist and physicist, born at Eaglesfield, near Cockermouth in Cumberland. ... In physics, atomic theory is a theory of the nature of matter. ...

Jean Perrin received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1926 for his work on the discontinuous structure of matter, and especially for his discovery of sedimentation equilibrium. Hannes Alfvén, 1970 winner for work on astrophysical plasmas List of Nobel Prize laureates in Physics from 1901 to the present day. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Look up equilibrium in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Perrin was the author of a number of books and dissertations. Most notable of his publications were: "Rayons cathodiques et rayons X" ; "Les Principes"; "Electrisation de contact"; "Réalité moléculaire"; "Matière et Lumière"; "Lumière et Reaction chimique".

Perrin was also the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the Joule Prize of the Royal Society in 1896 and the La Caze Prize of the Paris Academy of Sciences. He was twice appointed a member of the Solvay Committee at Brussels in 1911 and in 1921. He also held memberships with the Royal Society of London and with the Academies of Sciences of Belgium, Sweden, Turin, Prague, Romania and China. He became a Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1926 and was made Commander of the Order of Leopold (Belgium).

Perrin was an officer in the engineer corps during World War I. When the Germans invaded France in 1940, he escaped to the U.S.A. where he died. After the War, in 1948, his remains were transported back to France by the battleship Jeanne d'Arc and buried in the Panthéon.

He was the father of Francis Perrin, also a physicist. Francis Perrin (Paris, 1901 - id. ...