Experimental investigation of electron-mercury atom collisions: insights into atomic interaction dynamics

Abstract

This experiment aims to validate the Bohr’s model, which posits the existence of discrete energy levels within Hg and Ne atoms, through the Frank-Hertz experimental methodology. Utilizing two specialized tubes, one containing Neon gas and the other Mercury gas, electrons are accelerated to collide with the gas atoms. As the applied voltage is gradually increased, a distinct min-max pattern emerges on the current-voltage graph, with the equidistant minima and maxima, indicating the quantization of atomic energy levels, a phenomenon predicted by Bohr’s model. The experimentally determined distance between these peaks correlates with the energy required to excite the respective gas atoms to a higher energy state. The measured excitation energies – 16.58±2.36 eV for neon and 4.90±0.12 eV for mercury – align closely with the widely accepted energy levels for these atoms. These findings not only corroborate the quantized nature of atomic properties but also reinforce the validity of Bohr’s atomic model.