1

Department of Physics and Astronomy

University of Waterloo

PHYS 260L Project – Spring Term 2021

Here we make use of a filament to generate a pool of free electrons, which gets accelerated based on
the Anode (or Accelerating) potential. Here we factored in the energy the electrons in the cloud of
electrons at the Cathode (filament) already have and is known as the work function of the metal
filament (noted as do) in the Franck-Hertz experiment.

The graph shows the collected current in the collector plate kept at a slight negative voltage so incoming
electrons from anode plate ( positively charged) gets collected at the collector plate shown in blue
colour in the fig. the graph shows the peaks which indicates the fastest electron for the given anode
voltage that lost all of its energy to excite Mercury Atoms, the troughs represent the all of the electrons
at that given anode voltage that lost all of its energy in order to excite the Mercury Atoms

Work function of the metal fillament = ω 0

Total energy of the electron when transferred from Cathode to Anode = ω 0+ eV 0

Accelarating potential at anode = Va

The first peak in the graph of collected current in mA and accelarating voltage shows at accelrating
voltage of anode Va.

And the average excitation energy of the mercury found = ω 0+ eV 0

3
Number of electrons that are emitted from the cathode always is proportional to V a 2
 2

The initial energy of the electron was not use at all in the e/m and the CRT experiments that you
examined during the course as both use a filament to provide a pool of free electrons because in Frank
Hertz experiment the cathode is a filament by a current that is supplied by a voltage source of 6.3V and
we measure the energy needed for inelastic collisions between electrons and mercury atoms Also
because of the inelastic collision with the mercury atoms as a result energy is lost to excitation or
ionization of the mercury atoms. Electrons did not change the direction but speed was varied after
bombarding with the mercury atoms. Here we do not prove that the cathode plate is a negatively
charged particle, instead we conclude in cathode ray tube experiment the electrons accelerate at a high
speed and strikes glass wall of tube to produce the fluorescence or the glow. Electron occupied discrete
quantized state in case of the Frank Hertz model. In case of the Frank hertz model we see that the
electrons are initially accelerated at a high speed then it passes through the vapor and finally its
deaccelerated by a few volts before getting collected at the Anode Plate. So, if the electron moving
through the tube happens to have a kinetic energy corresponding to the an energy level of Hg, the
electron may collide in elastically with a Hg atom

Yes, we need to include the the work function of the filament metal so as to get better results from the
experiment. So that electrons with greater kinetic energy than work function of the metal passes and
hits anode plate, also we see that the excitation energy is Eex is nearly equals to 5 eV, so when

( eVa−Wpt ) < Ex , in this condition there will be no excitation of the electron is possible.
For electron to excite / ionize the mercury atoms the net kinetic energy must be greater than E ex , thus
this principle states that the inelastic process occurs and thus it reduces the kinetic energy of the
electron by excitation energy for each mercury atom when an electron excites.

Frank Hertz Experimental set up

 3

Roles the filament has in our experiment of Frank Hertz Experiment

The e/m experiment uses 1.5 Volt and 4 Amps as the electric potential and current to the filament, while
the CRT experiment uses 6.3 Volt AC and 4 Amps to its filament.

Experimental set up for e/ m measurement

In e/ m experiment,
1
2 eV
Velocity of the electron = v=( ) m
2

2∗1.6∗10−19∗1.5
¿( 9.1∗10−31 )
1
12 2 m
¿ ( 0.5274∗10 )
s

¿ 0.7262∗10 6 m/ s
Charge / mass ratio of electron accepted value = 1.7588∗1011 C/ Kg

1 1 2
Kinetic energy of the electron = m v 2= ∗9.1∗10−31∗( 0.7262∗106 ) =2.3995∗10−19 J
2 2
In CRT experiment,
1
2 eV
Velocity of the electron = v=( ) m
2

2∗1.6∗10−19∗6.3
¿( 9.1∗10−31 )
 4

1
12 2 m
¿ ( 2.2153∗10 )
s

¿ 1.4884∗106 m/s
1 1 2
Kinetic energy of the electron = m v 2= ∗9.1∗10−31∗( 1.4884∗106 ) =14.25∗10−19 J
2 2

The e/ m method is high impact on the analysis based on 1.5 V and 4A current.

Knowing the work function of the filament metal exist and contribute to the electron’s total energy; You
are to devise a method to measure the work function of the filament metal in our e/m experiment
(equipment and theoretical background/method are given in the e/m lab manual), then proceeding with
a method to determine e/m that includes the work function of the filament metal. (your proposed
method will need to be supported by known facts/theory and experimental set-up, and it must include
your hypothesis on the effectiveness of the proposed method to determine e/m as comparing to the
method that was performed

If the applied accelerating voltage is greater than the work function then the electron starts exciting
with the kinetic energy and moves across the anode electrode in measuring the e/ m experiment.
Hypothesis would be proposed method resembles with the method that was performed in the
experiment and alternative hypothesis involves the proposed method to determine the e/m ratio in the
experiment doesn’t resemble with the performed method to determine e/m. the technique to
determine the work function of the metal would be by using the PES and Kelvin probe (KP). The absolute
work function can be measured using the PES and the KP measures the contact potential difference
(CPD) between the sample surface and the actual probe used. The work function of a filament metal
depends on the surface of the sample used and not on the bulk of the sample.

The work function of the filament metal is the amount of energy required to remove the electron from
fermi energy level of the metal surface and doesn’t depend on the property of the filament metal. The
filament metal is heated and electrons removed are dependent on the amount of heat being supplied to
the filament metal. Resistivity of the filament metal is used to measure the temperature. Thus the
temperature of filament metal is used to solve the Richardson-Dushman equation.
 5

Experimental set up to measure the filament work function

The current passing through the filament metal is found using the ohm’s law as follows:

V fillament
R fillament =
I fillament

R fillament∗A fillament
ρ fillament =
L fillament

The filament is heated at a temperature 2100 - 2300K for about 15 to 30 minutes which allows the
thorium to diffuse from the surface of the filament. The forward bias voltage is set to +100 V, the
filament metal voltage and current are adjusted. With the new filament temperature the emission
current is measured. There will be a permissible region of where the emission current continues to
increase with increases in temperature of the filament. By increasing the filament temperature if there
is no or little change in emission current then it will be having the space charges, thus there will be
unacceptable regions of operation.

The proposed method for measuring the e/ m ratio when compared to the experimental method is
that here using the pair of Helmohltz coils that produces uniform and measurable magnetic fields. The
magnetic field deflects the electron in circular path and using accelarating voltage , current through
the Helmholtz coils and radius of path of electron we can measure e/ m as
 6

e 2V
=
m B2 r 2

References:

Franck, J.; Hertz, G. (1914). On the collisions between electrons and molecules of mercury vapor and the
ionization potential of the same] (PDF)

Eastman, A. (1941). Fundamentals of Vacuum Tubes. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing.

ARIES, Library of Properties. Retrieved August 1, 2001, from the Internet:

http://michelle.ucsd.edu/LIB/PROPS/Wal.gif