Exb-3 Fina Experiments for B. Tech. 1” Year Physics Laboratory Eranck-Hertz experiment mine the first excitation potential of gas (Argon) by Franck-Hertz experiment Tetrode tube filled with experimental Argon gas, filament, power supply three variable voltage sources, nanoammeter Experimental Set-up: The experimental set up involves a tube containing low pressure experimental gas fitted with fo electrodes: an eleeton-eiting cathode (K), a mesh grid (Gi) for minimizing space change effects mesh grid (G2) for acceleration, and an anode (A). The anode was held at a slightly negative el potential relative to the grid G2 (although positive compared to the cathode), so that electwons had t at least a corresponding amount of kinetic energy to reach it after passing the grid and thereby’ dips in the plate current more prominent, Instruments were fitted to measure the current passing | the electrodes, and to adjust the potential difference (voltage) between the eathode (negative and the accelerating grids Fig (1) Department of Physics, IIT Roorkee ©Experiments for B. Tech. 1" Year Physics Laboratory Cotlectiog plate ts slightly Positively charged grid with respect to. - ‘accelerates electrons Target tat ony thse + ‘electrons above an energy threshold will reseh it, Heated cathode produces electrons Current from collector measuredes a function of accelerating voltage. Operating ‘The Frank-hertz tube in this instrument is a tetrode filled with the vapour of the ex ‘substance Fig. indicates the basic scheme of experiment, “The electrons emitted by filament can be aceeterated by the potential Vax between and the grid Gs. The grid Gj helps in minimizing space charge effects. ‘The grids are sllow the electrons to pass through, The plate (A) is maintained at a potential slightly respect 10 the grid Go. This helps in making the dips in the plate current more ‘experiment, the electton curtent is measured as a function of the voltage Vow: A the electron energy goes up and so the electron can overcome the retarding pot plate (A), This gives rise t0 a current in the ammeter, which initially increases. increases, the electron energy reaches the threshold value to excite the atom in state. In doing so, the clectrons lose energy and therefore the number of deer proportional to the number of inelastic eollisions that have occurred. When the and reaches a value twice that of the first excitation potential, itis possible for stom halfway between the grids, loose all its energy, and then gain a new eno ‘atoms resulting in a second dip in the current. The advantage of this type ofc ‘s that the current dips are much more pronounced, and it is easy to obtain ‘multiplicity in the excitation of the first level ie. one can. get $ peaks (dips) orm The Franck Hertz experiment elegantly supports Niels Bohr's with electrons onbiting the nucleus with specific, diserete energies. Franck and the Nobel Prize in Physies in 1925 for this work Department of Physics, INT Roorkee ©Experiments for 8.7 ™ Ms for B. Tech. 1" Yea Physics Laborator Results: Graph with output current on Y-axis and accelerating voltage Vax at X-axis is plotted whieh shows series of dips in current at approximately 12.1 volt (Say) increments (fi jned argon vapour—the eurfent difference. The higher volta more forcefully towards and 2. At low potential differences —up to 12,1 volts when the tube con through the tube increased steadily with increasing potential increased the electtic field in the tube and electrons were drawn throug the accelerating grid At 12.1 volts the current drops sharply, almost back to zero. til 24.2 volts is is increased further steadily once fF the ve © curtent increases reached (exactly 12.1 At 24.2 volts a similar sharp dre is over 60V, please pay attention to the output eat once to avoid che experiment (manual), when the vo he experiment (manua yeading increase suddenly, decrease the volta 1, During current indicator, if the amm: ¢ of the tube. e during experiment, please rm If you want to chan Vou and Filament Volt Visgy t0 ‘Zero’ js changed, please allow 2-3 minutes for its stabilisation ¢ filament volt Jy in the socket, please make sure the following before the nk-Hertz Tube is alte vitched ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’, to avoid damage to the tube and Scanning and Filament Voltage knob at its minimum switeh ison Manus anticlockwise) and current multiplier knob at 10° Department of Physies, IT Roorkee ©