AT O M I C ST RUCT URE

Investigating the electron

G Duri ng the last half of the ni neteenth
century, sci enti stsobserved that when
an electri c current passesthrough a
glasstube contai ni ng a small amount
of ai r, the ai r glowed. Asai r was
removed, a patch of fluorescence
appeared on the tube, whi ch they
called cathode rays. Sci enti ststhen
began i nvesti gated these streamsof
electronstraveli ng at hi gh speed.
1Maltese cross tube
G I n the 1880s, Wi lli am Crookes
experi mented on cathode raysusi ng a
Maltese crosstube.
G The stream of electronsemi tted by the
hot cathodei saccelerated toward the
anode. Some are absorbed, but the
majori ty passesthrough and travels
along the tube. Those electronsthat
hi t the Maltese crossare absorbed.
Those electronsthat mi ssthe cross
stri ke the screen, causi ng i t to
fluoresce wi th a green li ght.
G The result of thi sexperi ment i sthat a
shadow of the crossi scast on the
screen. Thi sprovi desevi dence that
cathode raystravel i n strai ght li nes.
2 The Perrin tube
G I n 1895 Jean Perri n devi sed an
experi ment to demonstrate that
cathode raysconvey negati ve charge.
G He constructed a cathode ray tube i n
whi ch the cathode rayswere
accelerated through the anode, i n the
form of a cyli nder open at both ends,
i nto an i nsulated metal cyli nder called
a Faraday cyli nder.
G Thi scyli nder hasa small openi ng at
one end. Cathode raysenter the
cyli nder and bui ld up charge, whi ch i s
i ndi cated by the electroscope. Perri n
found that the electroscope had
become negati vely charged.
G Perri n sexperi mentshelped to
prepare the way for Engli sh physi ci st
J. J. Thompson swork on electronsa
few yearslater.
anode
cathode
cathode rays
electron
fluorescence
Key words
15

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Investigating the
electron 1
a E . h .t. su p p ly
b lo w vo lta g e
c h e a te d fi la m e n t a n d ca th o d e
d a n o d e
e M a lte se -C ro ss co n n e c te d to a n o d e )
g sh a d o w
h i n v i si b le ca th o d e ra ys
f flu o re sce n t sc re e n

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2 The Perrin tube
1Maltese-Cross tube
a
b c d
g
h e
f
k
i E . h .t. su p p ly
j 6 V su p p ly
k c a th o d e
l a n o d e
mtra c k o f e le c tro n b e a m i n m a g n e ti c fi e ld
n va c u u m
o g o ld -le a f e le c tro sco p e
p e le c tro n s a re co lle c te d
q i n su la te d m e ta l c y li n d e r