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G12 Thermionic Emission Notes

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22 views6 pages

G12 Thermionic Emission Notes

Uploaded by

giftchisanga08
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Thermionic Emission

Thermionic emission is the process by which energetic electrons escape from the surface of a
heated cathode plate. The diagram below shows the process.

The evacuated bulb contains a small coil of wire, the flament, and a metal plate called the anode
because it is connected to the positive of the 400V d.c. power supply. The negative of the supply
is joined to the flament which is also called the cathode. The flament is heated by current from a
6V supply (a.c. or d.c.).

When the filament (cathode) is heated, a current flows to the anode. This happens in a vacuum
tube (because in air the electrons would collide with air particles and the filament would burn). A
vacuum tube is also called a thermionic diode, as the electrons can only pass one way. The current
can be detected with a milliammeter.

The current stops if either the 400V supply is reversed to make the anode negative or the flament
is not heated.

Notes on thermionic emission prepared by B.M. Page 1 of 6


Cathode rays
Cathode rays are beams of electrons moving at high speed. Their properties can be studied using the
‘Maltese cross tube’ .

Electrons emitted by the hot cathode are accelerated towards the anode but most pass through the
hole in it and travel on along the tube. Those that miss the cross cause the screen to fluoresce with
green or blue light and cast a shadow of the cross on it. The cathode rays evidently travel in
straight lines. If the N pole of a magnet is brought up to the neck of the tube, the rays (and the
fluorescent shadow) can be shown to move upwards. The rays are clearly deflected by a magnetic
field and, using Fleming’s left-hand rule, we see that they behave like conventional current
(positive charge flow) travelling from anode to cathode.

Cathode rays deflected by magnetic fields


An electron beam entering the field at right angles
to the field experiences a force due to the motor
effect whose direction is given by Fleming’s left-
hand rule. This indicates that the force acts at right
angles to the direction of the beam and makes it
follow a circular path as shown (the beam being
treated as conventional current in the opposite
direction).

Notes on thermionic emission prepared by B.M. Page 2 of 6


Deflection By Electric Field
An electric field is a region where an electric charge experiences a force due to other charges.
The figure below shows two metal plates behave like a capacitor that has been charged by connection to a
voltage supply.

If the charge is evenly spread over the plates, a uniform electric field is created between them and
is represented by parallel, equally spaced lines; the arrows indicate the direction in which a positive
charge would move.
If a beam of electrons enters the field in a direction perpendicular to the field, the negatively
charged beam is attracted towards the positively charged plate and follows a parabolic path, as
shown.

Summarised properties of electron beams (cathode rays)


- They travel in straight lines.
- They are deflected by magnetic fields
- They are deflected by electric fields

Notes on thermionic emission prepared by B.M. Page 3 of 6


A simple Cathode ray Oscilloscope (C.R.O)
The diagram below shows a simple cathode ray oscilloscope.

Parts of the C.R.O


a) Electron gun
This consists of a heater H, a cathode C, another electrode called the grid G and two or three
anodes A. G is at a negative voltage with respect to C and controls the number of electrons
passing through its central hole from C to A; it is the brilliance or brightness control. The
anodes are at high positive voltages relative to C. The functions of the anodes are;

- to accelerate the electrons along the highly evacuated tube


- to focus the electrons into a narrow beam.

b) Fluorescent screen
A bright spot of light is produced on the screen where the beam hits it.

c) Deflecting system
Beyond A are two pairs of deflecting plates to which p.d.s can be applied. The Y-plates are
horizontal but create a vertical electric field which deflects the beam vertically. The X-plates are
vertical and deflect the beam horizontally. The p.d. to create the electric field between the Y-
plates is applied to the Y-input terminals (often marked ‘high’ and ‘low’) on the front of the
CRO. The input is usually amplifed by an amount that depends on the setting of the Y-amp gain
control, before it is applied to the Y-plates. It can then be made large enough to give a suitable
vertical deflection of the beam.
The Y-plate is connected to the gain settings controls on the CRO. This controls the deflection of
beam in the vertical direction
The X plate is connected to the time base setting controls. The time base deflects the beam
horizontally in the X-direction and makes the spot sweep across the screen from left to right at a
steady speed determined by the setting of the time base controls.

Notes on thermionic emission prepared by B.M. Page 4 of 6


QUESTIONS

1.

Notes on thermionic emission prepared by B.M. Page 5 of 6


2.

Notes on thermionic emission prepared by B.M. Page 6 of 6

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