11.0 ELECTRONICS.

 Electronics is the science of controlling electrical energy, where

electrons have a fundamental role in controlling the energy.
 Electronics deals with electrical circuits that involve active electrical
components. For example, diodes, vacuum
tubes, transistors, and integrated circuits that are supplemented with
passive electrical components such as resistors, capacitors and
inductors.

11.1 Thermionic emission.

 All matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms and all atoms have
negatively charged electrons that revolve around the nucleus of the
atom.
 When a metal is heated, some of its electrons gain enough kinetic
energy to escape from the surface of the metal.
 The greater the temperature the metal is being heated the greater the
emission of the electrons.
 For example a hot filament emits electrons.

Fig. 11.1.1:a light filament emits electrons as it heats up.

  However, the electrons do not get far due to the electrostatic
attraction of the nuclei. Hence the emitted electrons accumulate at the
surface of the metal.
 Therefore, thermionic emission is the thermally induced flow of
electrons from a surface.

Demonstrating Thermionic emission.

 Thermionic emission is demonstrated using a hot, negatively charged

filament in a vacuum tube

Fig. 11.1.2: measuring electron emission in a vacuum tube.

 The streams of electrons moving from the cathode (the negative

point) to the anode are called cathode rays.
 The 6V supply voltage heats up the filament or the cathode to provide
thermionic emission.
 The 400V supply voltage is connected in such a way that the anode is
made positive.
 The freed electrons are attracted from the cathode to the anode due to
the potential difference existing between the two.
Fig. 11.1.3:1: A vacuum tube electrical diagram of the vacuum tube.

 The 6V supply voltage heats up the filament or the cathode to provide

thermionic emission.
 The 400V supply voltage is connected in such a way that the anode is
made positive.
 The freed electrons are attracted from the cathode to the anode due to
the potential difference existing between the two.
 A small current will then be registered by the sensitive ammeter to show
that thermionic emission took place.
 Reversing the polarity of the 400V voltage source makes the reading of
the ammeter to be zero as electrons are not attracted to a negative
electrode.
 Also switching off the 6V voltage supply will reduce the current reading to
zero.
Acceleration and collimation of the cathode rays.

 The electron gun is used to accelerate the electrons such that they have
more kinetic energy to reach the screen.

Fig.11.1.4: the electron gun

 The great potential difference between the two plates of the gun result in
the acceleration of the electron beam.
 In addition, the electron gun also collimates the electron beam which
means to focus and to make parallel the beam such that it moves in a
narrow path.

Fig 11.1.5: cathode ray travelling through an anode in an electron gun.2:
An electron gun.

 The electron gun is used to accelerate the electrons such that they have
more kinetic energy to reach the screen.
 The great potential difference between the two plates of the gun result in
the acceleration of the electron beam.
 In addition, the electron gun also collimates the electron beam which
means to focus and to make parallel the beam such that it moves in a
narrow path.

Deflection of the cathode rays;

a) By a magnetic field.

 In Fig. 11.1.63 below., Tthe evenly spaced crosses, represent a uniform

magnetic field acting perpendicular to and into the paper.
 An electron beam entering the field at right angles to the field
experiences a force due to the motor effect whose direction is given by
Fleming’s left-hand rule.
 This indicates that the force acts at right angles to the direction of the
beam and makes it follow a circular path as shown.
 The beam can be treated as convectional current flowing in the opposite
direction.
Figure 11.1.63: Path of an electron beam at right angles to a
magnetic field.

b) By an electric field.

 An electric field is a region where an electric charge experiences a force

due to other present charges.
 In Fig. 11.1.74 the two metal plates behave like a capacitor that has been
charged by connection to a voltage supply.
 If the charge is evenly spread over the plates, a uniform electric field is
created between them and is represented by parallel, equally spaced
lines; the arrows indicate the direction in which a positive charge would
move.
 If a cathode ray (beam of electrons) enters the field in a direction
perpendicular to the field, the negatively charged beam is attracted
towards the positively charged plate and follows a parabolic path, as
shown by the fig.ure below.
Fig. 11.1.74: Path of an electron beam through an electric field.