MEASURMENT OF EXCITATION POTENTIAL OF MERCURY

(FRANCK HERTZ EXPERIMENT)

WORKING
WORKING PRINCIPLE:
PRINCIPLE:
James
James Franck
Franck and
and Gustav
Gustav Hertz
Hertz conducted
conducted an
an experiment
experiment inin 1914,
1914, which
which demonstrated
demonstrated the
the existence
existence of
of excited
excited states
statesin
in mercury
mercu-
atoms. It confirms
ry atoms. the the
It confirms prediction of quantum
prediction theory
of quantum thatthat
theory electrons occupy
electrons only
occupy discrete,
only quantized
discrete, energy
quantized states.
energy This
states. experiment
This experi-
supports Bohr model
ment supports of atom.
Bohr model of atom.

OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this experiment is to estimate the excitation potential of mercury.

APPARATUS:
Thermionic tube, cathode, anode, voltmeter, Keighley-electrometer, oven, counter electrode, electric supplies (AC,DC.

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM Fig. 1 APPARATUS OF FRANCK HERT

EXPERIMENT Fig. 2

OBSERVATION: GRAPH

Voltage Current Voltage Current Voltage Current

V nA V nA V nA
1 0.1 9 0.25 17 1.45

2 0.2 10 0.55 18 0.62

3 0.15 11 1.05 20 1.1

4 0.15 12 1.25 22 1.75

5 0.2 13 0.48 24 0.8

6 0.35 14 0.46 26 2.27

7 0.6 15 0.8 28 1.25

8 0.3 16 1.45 30 15

CONCLUSION :
Their experiment extended the application of quantum theory to electrons and their energy levels, and provided a new
technique for studying atomic structure. By this practical you will carry out a variant of the Frank-Hertz experiment to
determine the critical potentials of the atoms in a gas of He or Ne. The first excitation potential of mercury is 4.9eV.

GROUP 5
FATIMA SAMEEN BPHF16ME51
NOOR UL AIN BPHF16ME46
REHANA BPHF16ME40
MEHWISH ZAHRA BPHF16MM56