Using the Franck-Hertz experiment to illustrate quantization; Energy states of the neon atom by electron impact

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Journal of Chemical Education; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ed071p466· OSTI ID:7005411

Kash, M M; Shields, G C ^[1]

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1. Lake Forest Coll., IL (United States)

That microscopic matter exists in quantized states can be demonstrated with modern versions of historic experiments: atomic line spectra, resonance potentials, and blackbody radiation. The resonance potentials of mercury were discovered by Franck and Hertz in 1914. Their experiment consisted of bombarding atoms by electrons, and detecting the kinetic energy loss of the scattered electrons. Prior to the Franck-Hertz experiment, spectroscopic work by Balmer and rydberg revealed that atoms emitted radiation at discrete energies. The Franck-Hertz experiment showed directly that quantized energy levels in an atom are real, not just optical artifacts. An atom can be raised to excited states by inelastic collisions with electrons as well as lowered from excited states by emission of photons. The classic Franck-Hertz experiment is carried out with mercury. Here the authors present an experiment for the study of resonance potentials using neon.

• OSTI ID: 7005411
• Journal Information: Journal of Chemical Education; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Chemical Education; (United States) Vol. 71:6; ISSN 0021-9584; ISSN JCEDA8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

664300* -- Atomic & Molecular Physics-- Collision Phenomena-- (1992-)
664400 -- Experimentally Derived Information on Atomic & Molecular Properties-- (1992-)
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOM COLLISIONS
COLLISIONS
DATA
DATA ANALYSIS
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON-ATOM COLLISIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUIDS
GASES
INFORMATION
NEON
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
RARE GASES