Online Class - XII/2077

9TH CLASS
The electron

(5) Conduction of electricity through Gases:

Electric discharge

Nirmal Sharma(NP)
Department of Physics
Golden Gate Int’l college,
Kathmandu
ZEROSTATENIRMAL
Conduction of electricity through Gases: Electric discharge
Cosmic rays

e-

- +

- +
e-

Source
high P.D.

ZEROSTATENIRMAL
Conduction of electricity through Gases: Electric discharge
At normal pressure and temperature the gas is good insulator of electricity(there is
no free electron or ion to carry charge) .However, it can conduct electricity at low
pressure and high potential difference. At this stage ionization of gas molecules
takes place and opposite ions move in opposite direction. In this way current flows
through gasses. This phenomena of passage of electricity through gases is called
gas discharge or electric discharge.
A device which is used to observed the phenomena
of electric discharge is called discharge tube. It
consists of a strong glass tube of length about
(25-50) cm and about (3-4) cm in diameter. It
encloses two electrodes. One of them is connected
to positive terminal of power supply known as
anode and another connected to negative terminal
called cathode. The vacuum pump is connected to
reduce the pressure and pressure gauge measures
the pressure of the gas.

ZEROSTATENIRMAL
 Behavior of discharge tube at various pressure
(1) At the pressure of 10 mm of Hg
When the pressure of the gas
_ C A +
inside tube is reduced to 10 mm of
Hg electric discharge starts along
zigzag path with crackling sound. Blue streamer

(2) At the pressure of 5 mm of Hg C A

The blue streamer broadens out
into a luminous column called
Geisseler’s discharge. (Color
depend upon nature of gas)
C - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- - - - - - - - A
(3) At the pressure of 2 mm of Hg - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- - -- - - - -
A luminous column appears at - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - -- - - --

anode and extends up to cathode

called positive column. Positive Column

ZEROSTATENIRMAL
(4) At the pressure of 1 mm of Hg Faradays dark space
Positive column appears only near anode.
C __ __ __ __ __ - - - - - - - - -
A
At the same time another glow appears at _____
- - - -- - - - -
- - - - - - ----
anode called Negative glow. The dark
space between negative glow and positive Positive Column
Negative glow
column is called Faraday’s dark space(FDS)
FDS
(5) At the pressure of 0.5 mm of Hg _____ - - - A
C _ _ ______ - - - -
-ve glow leaves the cathode and _ _ _____ - -- -
another glow appear called
Cathode glow. The dark space Cathode glow Crooke’s -ve glow
+ve Column
between cathode and –ve glow is dark space
called Crooke’s dark space. FDS
____
C _ _ __ _ A
(6) At the pressure of 0.1 mm of Hg __ __

The positive column divided

into equally spaced alternative Cathode glow Crooke’s -ve glow
dark and bright segments called dark space Striations
striations.

ZEROSTATENIRMAL
(7) At the pressure of 0.01 mm of Hg(Production of cathode rays)
C A Luminous glow

Crooke’s dark space

When pressure of the gas reduced to 0.01mm of Hg at very high potential (10KV-
15KV), striations ,negative glow, cathode glow and faraday’s dark space disappear
and whole space is filled by Crooke’s dark space. At the same time the wall of the
discharge tube back to the anode starts to glow. It indicates that some invisible
rays were coming out from cathode and strikes on the wall of discharge tube has
caused to glow. These rays are called cathode rays.
When cathode rays are subjected to electric field they
get deflected towards positive charged plate also they show deflection on magnetic
field. Further many other investigations shows that cathode rays are stream of fast
moving electrons.

ZEROSTATENIRMAL
 Properties of cathode rays
They travel in a straight line and cast shadow of obstacle placed in their path.
They are deflected by electric and magnetic field and their deflection shows that
they are negatively charged particle.
They ionize the gas through which they pass.
They produce fluorescence effect .
When they incident on the hard substance such as tungsten, x rays are produced.
They can travel with the velocity up to 1/10th of speed of light.
They can penetrate thin sheet of paper.
They exert mechanical pressure.

Positive rays (Canal rays)

If holes are drilled at the cathode of discharge tube at the pressure of about 1mm of
Hg , faint luminous glow appears on the back side of cathode. This indicates that
some particles are coming out through the holes. Since these are attracted towards
the cathode, they should have positive charge. These stream of positive charge are
called positive rays or canal rays. They are deflected by electric and magnetic field.

ZEROSTATENIRMAL
 Short Questions
Q. 1 The value of e/m is constant for cathode rays but not for positive rays, Why?
Cathode rays are stream of fast moving electron. Their charge mass ratio(e/m) is same
as that of electron. since charge and mass of electron is always constant(e=1.6x10-
19C, m=9.1x10-31Kg) its e/m is also constant. But positive rays are stream of positive
ions, whose mass and charge are not constant so e/m of positive rays is not constant.

Q. 2Cathode rays can not be regarded as electromagnetic waves Why?

Electromagnetic waves are not deflected by electric and magnetic field and have zero
rest mass. But cathode rays are stream of fast moving electrons so they are deflected
by electric and magnetic field.
Q. 3 Explain why electric discharge takes place in low pressure.

Q.4Which property of cathode rays forces us to believe that they consists of electrons?

Q. 5 Light is not deflected by electric and magnetic field, Why?

Q. 6 Lightening discharge takes place at higher altitude than lower altitude Why?

Q. 7 Electric discharge does not takes place at very low pressure Why?
ZEROSTATENIRMAL