From the SelectedWorks of Zechariah Thurman

2013

Determining Planck's Constant Using LEDs

Zechariah Thurman, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

Available at: http://works.bepress.com/zechariah_thurman/2/

 Determining Plancks Constant using LEDs

Zechariah Thurman

Abstract

In this paper a value for Plancks constant is measured. The value found with this experiment
is h = (5.6 0.5)1034 Js which within 2 of the accepted value of h = 6.6261034 Js, this
constitutes reasonable agreement with theory for the purposes of this experiment.

Introduction
My problem is that I dont know the value of Plancks constant and I dont want to take
anyone elses word for it. In order to determine Plancks constant, the energy of a photon with
a known frequency must be measured. In the context of light emitting diodes (LEDs), the band
gap of the LED serves to give an approximate energy measurement for the photons emitted.
Using a spectrometer, the wavelength of the emitted photons can be determined for improved
experimental results. This procedure was first described in 1974 by OConnor and OConnor
[1] as a way to measure Plancks constant using the basic functionality of LEDs. As recently as
2008, Zhou and Cloninger described a method for using computers to improve data collection
and analysis for such an experiment with the appropriate software [2].
The experiment described is useful for illustrating the operating characteristics of LEDs to
undergraduate students. Band gap theory and its implications are presented in a straightfor-
ward manner through making use of the same type of threshold energy concept presented by
Einstein in his 1905 paper explaining the photoelectric effect [3]. The methods presented in
this paper can also be used to provide moderately experienced undergraduate students with a
basic introduction to quantum mechanical concepts as they apply to interactions between elec-
tromagnetic radiation and solids through the measurement of one of the fundamental constants
of nature.

Experimental Design
Max Planck first described the quantization of electromagnetic radiation emitted by a
black-body as a solution to the Ultraviolet Catastrophe predicted by the classical Rayleigh-
Jeans formulation describing radiation of a black-body [3]. In Plancks formulation, the energy
of the emitted radiation is proportional to the frequency via

E = hf , (1)
where E is the energy of the radiation, f is the frequency of the emitted radiation and h is
Plancks constant. Einstein took this argument one step farther by hypothesizing that all emitted
electromagnetic radiation is quantized depending on the electron energy orbital structure of the
material doing the emitting. The development of solid state physics not only verified this
prediction but also determined the method by which semi-conductors take advantage of such a
threshold emission behavior to either emit light or pass electrons across the band gap from the
valence band to the conduction band in a semi-conducting material.
 For this paper, Equation 1 must be modified slightly since it is easier to make a voltage
measurement than it is to make an energy measurement in relation to the light emitted by
LEDs. When this is done we obtain

E = eV0 , (2)
where E is the energy of the emitted photons, e is the charge of the electron and V 0 is the
turn-on voltage of the LED. Figure 1 shows a diagram of the circuit used to perform this
experiment. A power supply is connected to a switch which, when off, charges a 3 mF capacitor
bank and, when on, disconnects the circuit from the power supply and discharges the capacitor
bank through a current limiting resistor and an LED. By measuring the discharge curve of the
capacitor bank using the cursors on an oscilloscope and recording the voltage and time at which
the LED turns off during the capacitor bank discharge, V 0 for the LED is measured.
Setting the right hand sides of both Equations 1 and 2 equal to each other we can solve for
Plancks constant and obtain

h = eV0 , (3)
c
where we recognize that /c is just the inverse of the frequency of the emitted photons, h is
Plancks constant, e is the charge of the electron and V 0 is the turn-off voltage of the LED
[2]. Since we measure and V 0 , and we know c and e are fundamental constants we find a
value for Plancks constant. Instead of using Equation 3 however, the data can also be fit to a
linear function described by Equation 1 using Matlab to give the undergraduate experimenter
the option to practice data fitting and proper error analysis.

Analysis
To find Plancks constant first the circuit must be wired properly according to Figure 1 or
Figure 2. After this is done the leads of an oscilloscope are placed across the capacitor bank.
By charging the capacitors with the power supply and then discharging the capacitors across
the current limiting resistor and LED to ground, the discharge curve is used to determine the
turn-off voltage of the LED according to an exponential fit described by
t
y = Ae B + C, (4)
where y represents the voltage of the capacitor bank with respect to time, V(t), B is the time
constant of the circuit which is equal to RC for this resistor-capacitor circuit and C is the
turn-off voltage of the LED. By choosing the values of the resistor and capacitor such that the
decay of the capacitor bank over a period of a few time constants is observed on the oscilloscope,
the trace is stopped at the time the LED turns off. After measuring the voltage and time data
points of the exponential decay in charge experienced by the capacitor bank, Matlab is used to
fit the data.
Figures 3 through 6 show the decay curves of the capacitors across the different colored
LEDs. The final data point for each figure is the turn-off voltage for the different LEDs. The
reason different colors are used is because the threshold energy of the band gap is different
for each diode since energy is inversely proportional to wavelength of emitted photons. This
diversity of band gaps provides an opportunity to determine the best value possible for Plancks
constant. Figure 7 shows the linear fit used to determine Plancks constant. The experimental
value is h = (5.6 0.5)1034 Js which is almost within 2 uncertainty of the accepted value
of h = 6.6261034 Js constituting reasonable agreement between the data collected and the
accepted value for Plancks constant.
Conclusion
This paper describes an experiment through which beginning undergraduate students can
become familiarized with the basic concepts of quantum mechanics while in the context of an
introductory electronics course. For this experiment, the cursor functionality of an oscilloscope
was used to measure the exponential decay curves of the capacitor bank across the different
LEDs. Such a method opens the experiment up to systematic error because of the lack of
resolution on the screen of the o-scope. For improved results, students could write and use
a Labview interface with a Labjack device that outputs the data collected to some type of
spreadsheet data file. Better agreement with the accepted value for Plancks constant should be
attainable with such a set up.

References
1. OConnor, Leah R. OConnor, Patrick J. Measuring Plancks Constant Using a Light Emit-
ting Diode. The Physics Teacher. 12. (1974): 423-425.
2. Cloninger, T. Zhou, F. Computer-Based Experiment for Determining Plancks Constant
Using LEDs The Physics Teacher. 46. (2008): 413-415.
3. Dubson, Micheal A., Taylor, John R., Zafiratos, Chris D. (2003) Modern Physics for Scientists
and Engineers. Prentice Hall.
Figure 1: Shown is a diagram of the circuit used to perform this experiment. The three capacitors
in parallel add up to have a capacitance of 3 milli-Farads, the current limiting resistor placed in
series with the LED ensures that the diode wont burn out.

Figure 2: Shown is a picture of the circuit used to perform this experiment. The three capacitors
in parallel add up to have a capacitance of 3 mF, the current limiting resistor placed in series with
the LED ensures that the diode wont burn out.
Figure 3: Shown is the Matlab fit for the exponential decay of the capacitor bank across the red
LED.

Figure 4: Shown is the Matlab fit for the exponential decay of the capacitor bank across the yellow
LED.
Figure 5: Shown is the Matlab fit for the exponential decay of the capacitor bank across the green
LED.

Figure 6: Shown is the Matlab fit for the exponential decay of the capacitor bank across the blue
LED.
Figure 7: Shown is the Matlab fit for the linear relationship between energy and wavelength de-
scribed by Equation 1, where the slope of the fit is Plancks constant.
Appendix A
%% E-Lab Final Project
% Measuring Plancks constant using LEDs

clear all; clc;

% Red LED data

reddata = xlsread(Plancksconstproj.xls,Red);
redV = reddata(:,1);
redt = reddata(:,2);

x = redt;
errorred = 0.005.*ones(length(redV),1);

func = @ (A,B,C,x) A.*exp(-x./B) + C;

fittedmodelred = fit(x,redV,func,StartPoint,[10 3 1.44]);
rangesred = confint(fittedmodelred,0.6827);
figure(1)
hold on;
errorbar(redt,redV,errorred,.)
plot(fittedmodelred)
xlabel(Time (s))
ylabel(Voltage (V))

% Yellow LED data

yellowdata = xlsread(Plancksconstproj.xls,Yellow);
yellowV = yellowdata(:,1);
yellowt = yellowdata(:,2);

x = yellowt;
erroryellow = 0.005.*ones(length(yellowV),1);

funcy = @ (D,E,F,x) D.*exp(-x./E) + F;

fittedmodelyellow = fit(x,yellowV,funcy,StartPoint,[10 3 1.6]);
rangesyellow = confint(fittedmodelyellow,0.6827);
figure(2)
hold on;
errorbar(yellowt,yellowV,erroryellow,.)
plot(fittedmodelyellow)
xlabel(Time (s))
ylabel(Voltage (V))

% Green LED data

greendata = xlsread(Plancksconstproj.xls,Green);
greenV = greendata(:,1);
greent = greendata(:,2);

x = greent;
errorgreen = 0.005.*ones(length(greenV),1);
funcg = @ (G,H,I,x) G.*exp(-x./H) + I;
fittedmodelgreen = fit(x,greenV,funcg,StartPoint,[10 3 1.7]);
rangesgreen = confint(fittedmodelgreen,0.6827);
figure(3)
hold on;
errorbar(greent,greenV,errorgreen,.)
plot(fittedmodelgreen)
xlabel(Time (s))
ylabel(Voltage (V))

% Blue LED data

bluedata = xlsread(Plancksconstproj.xls,Blue);
blueV = bluedata(:,1);
bluet = bluedata(:,2);

x = bluet;
errorblue = 0.005.*ones(length(blueV),1);

funcb = @ (J,K,L,x) J.*exp(-x./K) + L;

fittedmodelblue = fit(x,blueV,funcb,StartPoint,[10 3 2.4]);
rangesblue = confint(fittedmodelblue,0.6827);
figure(4)
hold on;
errorbar(bluet,blueV,errorblue,.)
plot(fittedmodelblue)
xlabel(Time (s))
ylabel(Voltage (V))

%% Determining Plancks Constant

clear all; clc;

e = 1.602e-19;
c = 3e8;
V0red = 1.54; % +/- 0.01 V
V0yellow = 1.63; % +/- 0.02 V
V0green = 1.74; % +/- 0.02 V
V0blue = 2.56; % +/- 0.04 V
V = [0 V0red V0yellow V0green V0blue];
errorV = [0.01 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.04];

E = V.*e;
errorE = (errorV./V).*e;

reallambda = [3000 651 589 560 473].*10^(-9);

freal = c./reallambda;
x = freal;

func = @(A,x) A.*x;

fittedmodelp = fit(x,E,func,Startpoint, [6.626*10^-34]);
rangesp = confint(fittedmodelp,0.6827);

h = E.*(1./freal);
h = mean(h);
disp(h)

figure(1)
hold on
errorbar(freal,E,errorE,b.,MarkerSize,0.95)
plot(fittedmodelp)
xlabel(Frequency (THz))
ylabel(Energy (J))
axis([0 (max(freal)+0.5e14) 0 (max(E)+0.5e-19)])