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FH Basic Experiment

Experimental Physics 104.1

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The basic procedure in the Franck-Hertz experiment is straightforward:
1. Heat up the tube to approximately 160-170
O
C.
2. Apply a heater voltage (approximately 5-6 V) to the cathode. Wait 90 seconds for the cathode to heat.
3. Apply a reverse bias (approximately 1-2 V) between the grid and the anode.
4. Slowly raise the accelerating voltage (between the cathode and the grid) from 0 V to about 40 V.
Monitor the tube current to locate the potentials at which the current drops to a minimum.

MPORTANT MPORTANT MPORTANT MPORTANT- Please read before using the Apparatus

Whether you are performing the experiment using the Control Unit or using separate power supplies, the
following guidelines will help protect yourself and the equipment. They will also help you get good
results.

To Avoid Burns:
1. The outside of the Franck-Hertz Oven gets very hot. Do not touch the oven when it is operating,
except by the handle.

To Protect the Oven:
1. Be sure the power to the oven is AC and is equal to the rated voltage for the oven. A DC power
supply, or excessive AC power, will produce arcing that will damage the bimetal contacts of the
thermostat.

To Protect the Tube:
1. Always operate the tube between 150
O
C and 200
O
C. Never heat the tube beyond 205
O
C.
2. Always use a thermometer to monitor the oven temperature. The thermostat dial gives the
temperature in
O
C, but the reading is only approximate.
3. Turn on the oven and allow the tube to warm up for 10-15 minutes (approximately 160-170
O
C)
BEFORE applying any voltages to the tube. This is so because when the tube cools after each use,
mercury can settle between the electrodes, producing a short circuit. This mercury should be
vaporized by heating before voltages are applied.
4. When possible, do not leave the tube in a hot oven for hours on end, as the vacuum seal of the tube
can be damaged by outgassing metal and glass parts.
5. If the tube is left in a hot oven for a lengthy period of time, heat the cathode for approximately two
minutes, and then apply an accelerating potential of approximately 5 volts to the grid before turning
off the oven. This will prolong the life of the cathode.

To Ensure Accurate Results:
1. Use a shielded cable to connect the anode of the tube to the amplifier input of the Control Unit.
2. After heating the tube in the oven, apply the heater voltage to the cathode, and allow the cathode to
warm up for at least 90 seconds before applying the accelerating voltage and making measurements.
3. Minimizing Ionization:
Ionization of the mercury gas within the tube can obscure the results of the experiment, and, if severe,
can even damage the tube. To minimize ionization, the tube temperature should be between 150
O
C
and 200
O
C, and the accelerating potential (between the cathode and the grid) should be no more than
40 V.



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FH Basic Experiment

Experimental Physics 104.1


Even if ionization is not severe enough to damage the tube, the positive mercury ions will create a
space charge that will affect the acceleration of the electrons between the cathode and the grid. This
can mask the resonance absorption that you are trying to investigate.

Ionization is evidenced by a bluish-green glow between the cathode and the grid. In fact, if ionization
occurs, the side of the grid facing the cathode will have a blue-green coating, and the cathode will
have a bright blue spot on its center. If this happens, lower the accelerating potential and check the
tube temperature before proceeding.

If the tube temperature is too low, the mercury vapor pressure will be low, and the mean free path of
the electrons in the tube will be excessive. In this case, the accelerated electrons may accumulate
more than 4.9 eV of kinetic energy before colliding with mercury atoms. This can lead to ionization
of the mercury gas, which can increase the pressure inside the tube, and damage the vacuum seal. If
the tube temperature is too high, ionization can occur due to interactions between the mercury ions
themselves. Again, pressure will be excessive and the tube can be damaged.

How the Tube Should Look During the Experiment

When the tube is properly heated and the accelerating voltage is within the proper range, there will be
a deep blue cloud between the cathode and the grid (as opposed to the blue-green glow caused by
ionization). You should see dark bands forming near the grid and moving towards the cathode as the
accelerating voltage is increased. These bands are the regions in the tube where the electrons are
colliding inelastically with the gas, raising the mercury atoms to their first level of excitation. The blue
light is caused by the emission of a photon as the atoms return to the ground state.



1. Excitation energy of Mercury

In this section, we will measure the excitation energy of the mercury atom using the Franck-Hertz
apparatus.

1. The experimental set up is shown in Figure 1.
2. Insert the centigrade thermometer that can measure at least up to 200
O
C into the hole in the top of the
oven. Insert it so the tip of the thermometer is near the center of the tube.
3. Check the label and plug the oven into an appropriate AC power outlet, then turn the thermostat dial
to 150
O
C. Let the oven heat up for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on the thermometer. Let the
temperature stabilize at 170
O
C. Adjust the thermostat appropriately to keep the temperature at 170
O
C.
Do not let the oven temperature exceed 200
O
C.
4. Connect the tube, control unit, and oscilloscope as shown in the figure.
5. Switch on the control unit, but only AFTER the tube has warmed up for 10-15 minutes. Set the
controls as follows:








Acceleration: 0 volt (Ramp)
Heater: 5-6 volts
Amplifier Gain: midrange
Reverse Bias: 0 volt



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FH Basic Experiment

Experimental Physics 104.1


M MM M
Reverse Bias
POWER
Control
Grid
Amplitude
Acceleration
A AA A
Manual Ramp
Heater
H HH H
Output
Y-Out
X-Out
PE PE PE PE
Cathode
K KK K
M MM M
A AA A
H HH H K KK K
CH 1 CH 2
+
+
-
Control Unit
Franck-Hertz Apparatus
Oscilloscope
Figure 1. Experimental setup and circuit diagram.


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FH Basic Experiment

Experimental Physics 104.1


6. Wait about two minutes for the cathode to warm up and then adjust the voltages of the control unit to
the following specifications:






7. Adjust the gain controls on the oscilloscope to get a trace. The x-channel and y-channel knobs
(VOLTS/DIV) should be approximately 0.5 volts/div. Set the oscilloscope to XY display.








8. Accurately sketch the plot on your lab notebook or you can take a picture of the plot if you have a
digital camera. For each peak record five I
c
and V
a
readings: one for the peak, two from the minima
and two from the full width at half maximum (FWHM). The dots on the diagram above illustrate
where the readings are to be taken. The input to the y-channel is proportional to I
c
(i.e. Franck-Hertz
current). The input to the x-channel of the oscilloscope is equal to V
a
/ 10 according to the panel of
the Control Unit (i.e. one-tenth of the acceleration voltage). But the x-axis in the oscilloscope can be
set to display the exact reading of V
a
by selecting the 10x on the knob of the x-channel of the
oscilloscope.

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1. Compute the excitation energy of Hg by averaging the various voltage differences between adjacent
minima. The actual excitation energy of the Mercury atom is 4.89 eV (see Figure 2). Compare your
results to this value. Calculate the wavelength emitted by an electron decaying to this energy level.

2. Why are there several peaks and minima? Why do the magnitudes of the I
c
peaks increase when the
acceleration potential increases? Does your plot have a zero baseline (i.e. general flat trend) or is the
whole curve rising? Explain why this is so.

3. Since the excitation energy occurs only at 4.89 eV, we are suppose to see very sharp dips in our plots.
Why are the dips not sharp? Measure the FWHM of the various peaks. Do they increase or decrease
with the acceleration voltage? Why?

4. In the Photoelectric Effect experiment, we have seen the spectrum of Hg (i.e. yellow, green, blue,
violet, ultraviolet). The 4.89-eV energy level corresponds to the UV part only. Why can't we detect
the energy levels of the other colors in the spectrum?





I
c

V
a

Acceleration: 30 volts (Ramp)
Heater: 5-6 volts
Amplifier Gain: midrange
Reverse Bias: 0 volt



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FH Basic Experiment

Experimental Physics 104.1





2. Parameter investigation

The effects of other experimental parameters on the excitation current will be investigated in this
segment.

1. Take note of the settings of the parameters (reverse bias, acceleration voltage, heater voltage, and
temperature) of your setup from the last section. This will be your reference setting.

2. Vary the reverse bias (0-8 V only). Record your observations (amplitude, number of peaks, distance
between peaks, etc.). Sketch or take a picture.

3. Reset to the reference setting. Vary the acceleration voltage (0-50 V only). Record your
observations (amplitude, number of peaks, distance between peaks, etc.). Sketch or take a picture.
Figure 2. Energy levels of mercury


ff80k80flI

FH Basic Experiment

Experimental Physics 104.1


4. Reset to the reference setting. Vary the heater voltage (5-9 V only). Record your observations
(amplitude, number of peaks, distance between peaks, etc.). Sketch or take a picture.

5. Reset to the reference setting. Increase the temperature to 190
0
C taking care not to exceed 200
0
C.
Record your observations (amplitude, number of peaks, distance between peaks, etc.). Sketch or take
a picture.

6. Set the thermostat dial to 150
0
C. Observe what happens as the temperature slowly decreases. Record
your observations (amplitude, number of peaks, distance between peaks, etc.). Sketch or take a
picture.

7. Turn off the control unit, oscilloscope, and oven.


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1. What parts do the reverse bias, acceleration, and heater voltages play in the experiment? Describe
what happens to the amplitude, number of peaks, distance between peaks, etc. when you vary each of
the parameters. Do you expect these results? Explain.

2. When you increased the temperature of the oven from T=160
0
C to T=190
0
C, what happened? What
happened when you decreased the temperature to T=150
0
C? Describe the differences for the two
temperature conditions (amplitude, number of peaks, distance between peaks, etc.). Explain.