Physics 73.

1st Semester

Name:

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

Experiment Date:
Date Submitted:

Section:

Score:

Instructor:

Prelab: Determination of Plancks Constant

Read the manual and answer the following questions:
1. What is the definition of the turn-on voltage of a light-emitting diode (LED)?

2. How is the turn-on voltage of an LED obtained from its IV-curve?

3. How can you determine Plancks constant from the experiment?

Prelab: Determination of Plancks Constant

P1

EXPERIMENT
Determination of Plancks Constant

Objectives
At the end of this activity, the student should be able to:
determine the turn-on voltage of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) from their IV-curve.
relate the turn-on voltage of an LED to the bandgap energy.
experimentally determine Plancks constant using LEDs.

Introduction
Max Planck, a pioneer in the field of quantum mechanics, developed the concept of a
fundamental unit of energy, a quantum, to explain the spectral distribution of blackbody
radiation in 1900. Planck proposed that atoms absorb and emit radiation in discrete
quantities given by the equation
E = nhf

(1)

where n is an integer known as a quantum number, f is the frequency of light vibration,

and h is the Plancks constant equal to 4.135 1034 eV s.
In this experiment, the value of Plancks constant will be determined by finding the
turn-on voltage of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Theory
An LED is an electrical circuit element made up of p-type and n-type semiconductors.
The n-type has excess free electrons while the p-type has spare holes. On the boundary
where both types of semiconductors meet, the free electrons of the n-type recombine with
the holes of the p-type which creates a depletion zone. This zone is negatively charged
on the p-type side and positively charged on the n-type side. The recombination causes
an electric field on the boundary to inhibit the movement of free electrons through the
depletion zone.
If the LED is connected to a voltage source and the voltage is sufficiently high to give
the electrons enough energy to overcome the electric field in the depletion zone, then
Determination of Plancks Constant

1st Semester

Physics 73.1

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

the electrons can flow from the n-type to the p-type material and recombine with the
holes, as seen in Figure 1. During recombination, electrons go from a higher energy level
the conduction band to a lower energy level the valence band. Light will then be
emitted, with the band gap, which is difference between the conduction band and the
valence band, equal to the energy of the emitted light. The minimum voltage needed for
the electron and hole to recombine is called the turn-on voltage.

Figure 1: Electrons and holes recombination [2]

The emitted photon has energy equal to the product of the electron charge e and the
LEDs turn-on voltage V0 , given by the equation
E = eV0

(2)

Substituting this into Eq. (1), it then follows that

E = hf =

hc
= eV0

(3)

The equation above allows us to compute for the Plancks constant using the frequency
of the emitted photon and the LEDs turn-on voltage.

Materials
The following materials are required for the experiment:
Light emitting diodes (red, orange, green, blue, and violet)
PCB circuit
Variable DC power supply
Ammeter
Voltmeter
Connectors
Plotting tool
Determination of Plancks Constant

1st Semester

Physics 73.1

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

Procedure
CAUTION:
Make sure that the voltage provided by the power supply is set to minimum before
switching it on.
The power supply has minimum voltage of around 1.2 V

Set-up
1. Set-up the circuit as shown in Figure 2 for the LED in the provided PCB circuit.

Figure 2: Circuit

2. The ammeter is connected in series with the LED while the voltmeter is connected
in parallel. Connect the longer leg of the LED to the positive terminal of the power
supply and the other leg to the negative terminal of the power supply.
3. Have your Instructor check your circuit before plugging in the power supply.

IV-curve
1. Turn on the power supply and increase the voltage slowly by turning its knob
clockwise. Record the current and voltage readings in Table W1. Take a minimum
of 2 current-voltage readings before the LED lights up and a minimum of five 5
current-voltage readings after it eventually lights up. Do not exceed 4 V.
2. Sketch the current vs. voltage graph of the red LED in Figure W1. Mark in your
graph the turn-on voltage by drawing a line from the maximum to the minimum
current reading when the LED lights up as shown in Figure 3.

Calculation of the turn-on voltage

1. Repeat the measurement of the current and voltage of the circuit for the orange,
green, blue and violet LEDs. Record your data in Tables W2 to W5.
2. For the instances when the LED is on, find the equation of the best-fit line for each
IV-curve by plotting in a spreadsheet program. With the slope and y-intercept,
calculate the turn-on voltage by finding the x-intercept of the graph. Record your
answers in Table W6.
Determination of Plancks Constant

1st Semester

Physics 73.1

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

Figure 3: I-V curve of LEDs [3]

Calculation of Plancks constant

1. Plot the turn-on voltage vs. frequency for the LEDs in Figure W2. Determine the
best-fit line. The slope of the line gives the Plancks constant in eV s.
2. Compare the experimental Plancks constant with the textbook value indicated in
Table W7.
3. Complete Table W7.

Suggested Extension Experiment

1. Determine the wavelength emitted by the different LEDs using the student spectrometer.
2. Study the turn-on voltage of the system of LEDs in series and/or parallel.

Bibliography
[1] Hugh D. Young, Roger A. Freedman, and A. Lewis Ford. University Physics with
Modern Physics, Chapter 35. Addison Wesley, 12th edition, 2007.
[2] Hands-On Activity: Measuring Plancks constant with LEDs, www.quantumspinoff.eu
[3] Physics 73.1 Laboratory Manual Authors, 2013.

Determination of Plancks Constant

1st Semester

Physics 73.1
Group Members:

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

Date Performed:
Date Submitted:

Section:

Score:

Instructor:

Data Sheet
Table W1: Measured Data for Red LED
LED
Off/On

Current Voltage
(mA)

(V)

Off
Off
On
On
On
On
On
Figure W1. IV-Curve of Red LED
Table W2: Measured Data for Orange LED
LED
Off/On

Current Voltage
(mA)

(V)

Table W3: Measured Data for Green LED

LED
Off/On

Off

Off

Off

Off

On

On

On

On

On

On

On

On

On

On

Worksheet: Determination of Plancks Constant

Current Voltage
(mA)

(V)

W1

1st Semester

Physics 73.1

Table W5: Measured Data for Violet LED

Table W4: Measured Data for Blue LED

LED

Current Voltage

Off/On

(mA)

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

LED

(V)

Off/On

Off

Off

Off

Off

On

On

On

On

On

On

On

On

On

On

Current Voltage
(mA)

(V)

Table W6: Calculation of the Turn-on Voltage

Color

Frequency

Slope

y-intercept Turn-on Voltage

(1014 Hz) (mA/V)

Red

4.74

Orange

4.90

Green

5.62

Blue

6.53

Violet

7.43

(mA)

(V)

Table W7: Calculation of the Turn-on Voltage

slope
y-intercept
hexpt
htheo

4.135 1034 eV s

% Error
Figure W2. Turn-on voltage vs. frequency plot

Worksheet: Determination of Plancks Constant

W2

Physics 73.1

1st Semester

A.Y. 2016 - 2017

Questions
1. Can you use the light from a small incandescent or fluorescent light bulb instead of
an LED in this experiment? Justify your answer.

2. Which of the following LED material is applicable for providing green light source
and what is the exact wavelength emitted by the desired material?
Material Band gap (eV)
A

3.00

2.33

1.97

Show the calculations supporting your answer.

3. What is the turn-on voltage of a green LED that produces a 530 nm-light? Show
your calculation.

Worksheet: Determination of Plancks Constant

W3