Elastic and inelastic scattering of electrons from atoms. The excitation potential and ionization potential of the mercury atom are determined from measurements of the critical accelerating potentials at which electrons lose energy by inelastic scattering in mercury vapor.
The Franck-Hertz experiment. (Image courtesy of Junior Lab staff.)
References
Franck-Hertz Experiment
Bohm, David. "Square Potential Solutions." In Quantum Theory. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1951, pp. 229-263.
Bleuler, Ernst, and George J. Goldsmith. "Charged Particle Spectra." In Experimental Nucleonics. New York, NY: Rinehart, 1952, pp. 342-346.
Melissinos, Adrian C. "The Franck-Hertz Experiment." In Experiments in Modern Physics. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1966, pp. 8-17.
———. "Thermionic Emissions of Electrons from Metals." In Experiments in Modern Physics. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1966, pp. 65-80.
Schiff, Leonard I. "Ramsauer-Townsend Effect." In Quantum Mechanics. 3rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1968, pp. 108-110.
Harnwell, Gaylord P., and J. J. Livinwood. "Experiments on Excitation Potentials," and "Experiments in Ionization Potentials." In Experimental Atomic Physics. Huntington, NY: R. E. Krieger, 1978, pp. 314-320. ISBN: 9780882756004.
Rapior, G., K. Sengstock, and V. Baeva. "New Features of the Franck-Hertz Experiment." American Journal of Physics 74 (2006): 423-428.
Ramsauer-Townsend Effect Experiment
Bohm, David. "Ramsauer-Townsend." In Quantum Theory. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1951, pp. 564-573.
Richtmyer, F. K., E. H. Kennard, and T. Lauritsen. Introduction to Modern Physics. 5th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1955, pp. 274-279.
Mott, N. F., and H. S. W. Massey. "Ramsauer-Townsend." In The Theory of Atomic Collisions. 3rd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1965, pp. 562-579.
Kukolich, Stephen G. "Demonstration of the Ramsauer-Townsend Effect in a Xenon Thyratron. American Journal of Physics 36, no. 8 (1968): 701-703.
Selected Resources
Homebuilt Voltage Supply Box Schematic (PDF)