Slide 4 - Theory/Quantization

The experiment confirms that electrons in mercury atoms occupy specific energy states, denoted by
quantum numbers, with transitions occurring only when an electron absorbs energy equal to the
difference between these quantized levels.

We utilize quantum numbers to characterize energy states within the mercury atom.

Slide 5 - Quantum Numbers

Slide 6

The lowest energy state in mercury is such that both of its outer electrons, positioned outside the
1
atom's closed electron shells, exhibit specific quantum properties with n = 6, ℓ = 0, and s = 2
.

To determine the overall angular momentum (J) of the mercury atom, we add the momenta of the
two electrons.

This yields two potential values for the total angular momentum, j=0 and j=1, depending on whether
the electron spins are "antiparallel" or "parallel," respectively.

Slide 7 - Excited States

Energy transitions in the Franck-Hertz experiment involve exciting one of the electrons from the 6s
state to the 6p state.

This transition is in accordance with the Exclusion Principle and results in a quantized energy
change.

When a collision occurs, one electron is bumped out of the 6s state making the excited state (6s,
6p).

Since the electrons now have different values for ℓ, the 𝑚𝑠 values can either be the same or

different which gives us: 𝐽 = 𝐿1 + 𝐿2 + 𝑆1 + 𝑆2 = 𝐿 + 𝑆

Slide 8 - Experimental Setup

Read off slide
Slide 9 - Experimental Setup

The key components of the apparatus include a three-electrode tube, a cathode (K), a mesh anode
(MA), and a counter-electrode (CA).
The cathode is powered by an alternating current through a heater (H) and emits electrons when
heated.

The electrons are then accelerated towards the mesh anode using a variable potential
(𝑉1), which represents their initial energy.

Liquid mercury placed in the tube evaporates to produce a vapor of mercury atoms in the region
between MA and CA which results in frequent electron-atom collisions.

Slide 10 - Objective and Procedure

The experiment involves measuring the current at the counter-electrode while varying the retarding
potential applied near CA.

This process allows us to monitor inelastic collisions where electrons lose energy and correlate
these events with specific values of 𝑉2.

The uncertainties in measurements primarily arise from fluctuations in electron energies and the
accuracy of potential settings.

Additionally, uncertainties in voltage measurements with a digital multimeter may contribute to

overall measurement errors.

Slide 11 - Objective and Procedure

To achieve this, we will measure the energy transitions of electrons within mercury atoms and note
their discrete nature.

The procedure involves heating liquid mercury to generate a vapor of mercury atoms. Electrons
emitted from a heated cathode are accelerated towards a mesh anode using a variable potential.

These accelerated electrons then collide with mercury atoms. By monitoring the current at the
counter-electrode while varying the retarding potential, we will find inelastic collisions where
electrons lose energy due to transitions between energy states in the mercury atoms.

The desired outcome is the observation of distinct peaks in current as a function of 𝑉2, indicating

that energy transfer occurs in discrete quanta and confirming the quantization of atomic energy
levels.

Slide 12 - Data
Slide 13 - Data
Slide 14 - Data
Slide 15 - Results and Analysis
Slide 16 - Results and Analysis
Slide 17 - Error
Slide 18 - Error
Slide 19 - Why multiple Peaks?

The presence of multiple peaks in the I versus V graph is a consequence of the quantization of
energy levels in mercury atoms. As 𝑉1 is increased, the electrons gain kinetic energy and when

these electrons collide with mercury atoms, they transfer energy to the atoms.

When an electron has enough energy to excite the atom, it transitions from one energy level to
another. This transition results in a decrease in the current because the excited atom is temporarily
unable to conduct electricity.

This drop in current is observed as a peak in the graph. Each peak corresponds to an energy
transition within the atom, where the electron must have a specific amount of energy to make the
transition.

Mercury atoms have several possible excited states with different energy differences from the
ground state. As you sweep through the voltage range, you encounter multiple conditions
corresponding to these different excited states. Each condition results in a peak in the I-V curve.

Slide 20 - How do the results vary with V2?

The results in the Franck-Hertz experiment vary with 𝑉2 because 𝑉2 serves as a retarding potential

that affects the ability of electrons to reach the counter-electrode.

As 𝑉2 is increased, it halts electrons at specific energy levels corresponding to the energy

differences between quantized levels in the mercury atom.

This variation in 𝑉2 provides a direct observation of the quantization of energy levels and is a

fundamental aspect of the experiment.

Slide 21 - Average distance between mercury atoms

Slide 22 - Average distance between mercury atoms
Slide 23 - Why don’t we observe excitations for other Hg levels?
The absence of excitations for other energy levels in the mercury atom can be explained by the
specific properties of mercury's electron configuration. In this experiment, mercury vapor is used,
which contains a complex atom with 80 electrons. However, only one of these electrons is directly
affected by the collision, while the others are in closed electron shells.

The two lowest energy states are the dominant ones, and they are characterized by quantum
numbers n = 6, ℓ = 0, s = 1/2, and 𝑚𝑠= 1/2 for one electron and 𝑚𝑠 = -1/2 for the other. The collision

with electrons leads to one of the electrons being excited from the 6s state to the 6p state, as it
requires the least energy.

Different combinations of angular momenta and spins are possible for the two electrons in the 6s
and 6p states, however, only the j=0 state corresponds to the lowest energy, and it emits radiation
with a specific wavelength, as observed in the experiment.

Slide 24 - Conclusion

In conclusion, our Franck-Hertz experiment aimed to validate the quantization of energy levels in
mercury atoms through measurements of current as a function of electron energy. By varying the
retarding potential and recording the current and voltage (𝑉1), we obtained a dataset showing

multiple peaks in the current-voltage graph, reflecting the quantized energy levels within the
mercury atom.

From our analysis, we found that the excitation energy of the mercury atoms was approximately
5.02 eV, with a small percent error of 2.43% compared to the accepted value of 4.9 eV.

Furthermore, we observed that varying 𝑉2 impacted the electron behavior, providing a direct

observation of energy level quantization and its dependence on the retarding potential.

In summary, this Franck-Hertz experiment successfully demonstrated the quantization of energy

levels in mercury atoms and provided experimental evidence supporting the fundamental principles.