Name:
Teacher:
Your task
You may use the following questions to help you summarise the important
points.
Discharge tubes
Outline some of the appliances in your home that have their basis in the
research into cathode rays.
Describe the structure of a discharge tube.
Describe cathode rays.
Particles or waves?
Outline the two schools of thought regarding the properties of cathode rays
that were current up until Thomson’s experiments in 1897.
Draw a table showing the evidence that supported the wave like properties
and the particle nature of cathode rays.
Name two scientists from each side of the argument.
Draw a timeline showing the development of ideas in cathode ray research
including the following scientists
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


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Geissler
Plücker
J W Hittorf
Sir William Crookes
Eugene Goldstein
Heinrich Hertz
Jean Perrin
Philipp von Lenard
J J Thomson
Geissler tubes
State the technological advances that had to occur to allow research into
cathode rays.
From the experiment shown, describe what happened as air pressure is
decreased in a Geissler tube.
Outline the cause of discharge effects, such as striations.
Draw a diagram of a gas discharge tube at reduced air pressure. On your
drawing mark in:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
cathode and anode
cathode and anode glow
Crookes’ dark space
positive striations
Faraday’s dark space.
The Maltese cross
Outline the steps required to test the effect of cathode rays on a solid
object, such as a piece of metal cut in the shape of a Maltese cross.
Analyse any risks in this experiment and say how you will minimise such
risks.
Describe what this experiment showed.
Glass wheel
Outline the steps required to test the effect of cathode rays on a glass
paddlewheel.
Analyse any risks in this experiment and say how you will minimise such
risks.
Describe what this experiment showed.
Fluorescent display
Outline the steps required to test the effects of cathode rays on a
fluorescent screen.
Analyse any risks in this experiment and say how you will minimise such
risks.
Describe what this experiment showed.
Electric plates
Hertz’s experiment in 1883 gave the wrong result. Later J J Thomson was
able to perform the experiment and get a different result. Describe the
changes that had occurred between the two experiments.
Outline the steps required to test the effect of a charged metal plate and
cathode rays.
Analyse any risks in this experiment and say how you will minimise such
risks.
Describe what this experiment showed.
Effect of magnets
Outline the steps required to test the effect of a magnet on cathode rays.
Analyse any risks in this experiment and say how you will minimise such
risks.
Describe what this experiment showed.
Summary of experiments
For each of the following experiments describe how you would set up the
equipment, risk assessment and what the experiments show.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
Geissler tubes under different air pressures
Maltese cross
Glass paddlewheel
Fluorescent display
Electric plates
Effect of a magnet on cathode rays.